Foreign Minister Jaishankar made a major statement, saying that India-Russia relations have deepened under changing circumstances.

New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a big statement on Monday regarding India-Russia relations. He said, “Our partnership is becoming deeper in today’s changing circumstances.” Jaishankar said that there is a need to remove non-tariff barriers to increase annual trade between the two countries to US$ 100 billion by 2030. He reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to strengthen the long-term partnership with Russia. The Foreign Minister was addressing an online conference titled ‘India and Russia: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda’.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised India’s independent foreign policy. He said that Russia looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit this year. S. Jaishankar said that the evolving multipolar system requires greater cooperation between India and Russia, including through BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the G20, and the United Nations. He said that India looks forward to working with Russia to address common challenges in a balanced and inclusive manner.

India-Russia relations on the rise
Jaishankar said, “India and Russia have a special and privileged strategic partnership based on trust and mutual respect. For decades, our mutually beneficial cooperation has advanced regional and global peace, stability and progress.” The External Affairs Minister also referred to the outcomes of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in December last year. He said, “Both sides are committed to increasing annual trade from the current US$ 68.7 billion to US$ 100 billion by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner.”

The External Affairs Minister said, “We need to finalise the India-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement and remove non-tariff barriers and regulatory bottlenecks. Furthermore, efforts to utilise the skilled Indian workforce must be continued.” The External Affairs Minister’s comments are significant in light of the ongoing crisis in West Asia. Following talks between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in December, India and Russia announced a number of measures, including a five-year roadmap to build a strong economic partnership and increase annual trade to US$100 billion by 2030.

What Russia Said
Jaishankar described Russia as India’s best partner in the civilian nuclear energy sector. He said, “As India aims to increase its nuclear power generation capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047, I am confident that it will find a reliable partner in Russia for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.” Lavrov said that the time-tested Russia-India friendship is an ideal example of inter-state relations based on mutual trust and respect. He said, “India deserves great respect for pursuing an independent foreign policy and consistently prioritizing national interests as part of its path towards strategic autonomy. The centuries-old friendship between Russia and India is a perfect example of how inter-state relations can and should be built on equality, mutual trust, respect, and consideration of each other’s interests.”