At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clarified that the India-Russia economic partnership is “not under threat”. This assertion comes amid the US tariff imposition on India for the Russian oil trade.
Meanwhile, he also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in December is currently being “planned”.
India-Russia Economic Ties
Responding to a question by the news agency ANI on secondary sanctions imposed on India by the US for importing Russian oil, Lavrov reassured the economic relationship between New Delhi and Moscow is “not under threat” and added that Indian leadership including, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has clarified that “India chooses its own partners”.
“(The economic partnership between India and Russia) is not under threat… The Indian Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have made it clear that India chooses its own partners. If the US has proposals on how to enrich bilateral trade between the US and India, they are prepared to discuss the terms for that, whatever terms the US might put forth. But when it comes to trade, investment, economic, military, technological, and other relations between India and third states, it is something that India will discuss only with those states in question,” Russian Foreign Minister said.
On India buying Russian oil and India-Russia relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “We have full respect for the national interests of India, full respect for the foreign policy that Narendra Modi is carrying out to promote these national interests. We hold regular contacts at the highest level…”
Sergey Lavrov underlined the strategic relationship between India and Russia and said they have “utmost respect” for the foreign policy of the Indian government to pursue its “national interests” under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
He also recalled the recent meeting of PM Modi and President Putin at the SCO summit in China. He noted the “close coordination” between the two countries at the International level.
“Just recently, Prime Minister Modi and President Putin met in Tianjin at the SCO summit in China. And in December, a visit from Mr Putin is being planned to New Delhi. We have a very extensive bilateral agenda, trade, military, technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian matters, healthcare, high-tech, artificial intelligence, and of course close coordination at the international level within the SCO, BRICS and bilaterally…”
Putin To Visit India?
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, at the UNGA 80th session, also said that a visit from Russian President Putin to New Delhi is being planned.
“…In December, a visit from Mr Putin is being planned to New Delhi.” “We have a very extensive bilateral agenda, trade, military, technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian matters, healthcare, high-tech, artificial intelligence, and of course close coordination at the international level within the SCO, BRICS and bilaterally…,” he said.
Sergey Lavrov said, “This year, my colleague, I spoke to him yesterday, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, will visit Russia, and I will visit India. We hold regular exchanges.”
Notably, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged in a series of high-level meetings with international leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, focusing on geopolitical trends on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UNGA in New York.
