External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has emphasized the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Russia, highlighting it as a crucial opportunity for direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on several key issues, including trade imbalances. Speaking to news agency ANI, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted, “There are issues like the trade imbalance. At a leadership level, it will be a great opportunity for Prime Minister Modi and President Putin to sit down and directly talk to each other. And then, obviously, as per their directions, we will see how to take the relationship forward.”
The visit, which will coincide with the India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit, underscores the deep-rooted tradition and strong history of collaboration between the two nations. “There was a bit of a delay in our annual summits. It is a good tradition. We are two countries which have a strong history of working together. We did value the need for an annual summit,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked, underscoring the importance of these regular high-level interactions.
Recalling his visit to Moscow last year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed that he had carried a message from the Prime Minister affirming India’s commitment to the annual summit and the intention to expedite it. “It is a regular occurrence. It is a way of taking stock of any relationship. One of the biggest changes has been that our economic relationship with Russia has grown tremendously,” the External Affairs Minister added.
During his interaction with ANI, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also addressed the issue of Indians stranded in the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone. He confirmed that he had raised the matter with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. “Absolutely, very clearly and very strongly,” he asserted when asked if he had brought up the issue. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stressed that it is unacceptable for Indian citizens to find themselves in the army of another country in a warzone, and he sought Russia’s cooperation to ensure their swift return to India. Lavrov, he noted, appreciated the concern, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar urged a “much stronger follow-up” on the matter.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Russia, departing from Delhi at 10:55 am today. He will arrive at Vnukovo-II International Airport at 5:20 pm later in the day. This will be his first visit to Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and marks the 22nd India-Russia summit, where both leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted ties between the two countries.
The discussions are expected to cover various sectors, including defence, investment, energy cooperation, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, reflecting the comprehensive nature of the bilateral relationship. After concluding his visit to Russia, Prime Minister Modi’s next destination will be Austria, where he is scheduled to arrive on July 9.
