Jaishankar was assured by Putin, “We will be glad to see our friend [Modi] in Russia,” on Wednesday.
Putin continued, stating that he is aware of PM Modi’s attempts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “I am referring to his position, his attitude towards complicated processes, including hot spots, the situation in Ukraine.”
On Monday, Jaishankar embarked on a five-day visit to Russia with the aim of discussing all facets of bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on commerce, defence, energy, and connectivity.
Notably, in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s imports of Russian crude oil have surged dramatically despite growing unease about it in various Western countries.
Additionally, the visit by the Indian EAM is significant because this year’s annual leaders’ conference between Moscow and New Delhi will not take place.
Recognise that Jaishankar met with Putin
On Wednesday night (local time), Jaishankar met with the president of Russia and gave him PM Modi’s “warm greetings”. Additionally, he gave Putin a private message from the prime minister of India.
He also had meetings with Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, and Denis Manturov, the deputy prime minister.
Jaishankar shared snippets of his encounter with Putin in an X post, saying, “I informed President Putin about my conversations with Ministers Manturov and Lavrov. I was grateful for his advice regarding the future growth of our relationship.”
Learn about Russia’s plans to strengthen military and energy ties with India.
Jaishankar openly supported India’s relations with Russia on Wednesday, calling Moscow a reliable and dependable ally with whom New Delhi had a mutually beneficial partnership.
After his talks with Deputy PM Manturov on trade and investment on Tuesday, he met with his colleague Lavrov for a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, covering energy and military tech cooperation issues.
Russian hydrocarbon shipments to the Indian market are increasing: Lavrov
After his discussion with the Indian EAM, Lavrov described the two countries’ energy cooperation as a “strategic area” of the broader relationship that the Kremlin hopes to strengthen.
“We (Russia and India) agreed on the cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as the expansion of Russian hydrocarbon exports to the Indian market,” he disclosed at a joint press conference.
Russia promises to support India’s military equipment manufacturing
However, both countries talked about potential areas of collaboration in rocket engines, satellite navigation systems, military hardware, and piloted space programmes.
Lavrov claims that the Kremlin is “respectful” of New Delhi’s intention to broaden its “military and technical links.”
According to him, Russia is ready to assist with initiatives to manufacture military hardware as part of India’s “Make in India” initiative.