India, Russia to Step Up High Level Engagements

India, after hosting US President Donald Trump, will now focus on pushing its relations with major partner Russia through a series of high-level engagements marking 20th edition of annual summit and 10 years of special strategic partnership.

Beginning with hosting Andrei Klimov, Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Deputy Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs this week, Delhi may also host Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov in March. Manturov who was earlier scheduled to lead Russian delegation at Lucknow Def Expo had to postpone his trip due to role assigned to him in countering coronavirus.

Russian Deputy PM Yury Borisov is also expected to visit India in March to hold a joint commission meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s trip to Moscow for victory day celebrations. Jaishankar is likely to travel to Vladivostok end of March for Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting.

In April Jaishankar may travel to Moscow to prepare for PM’s May trip. The high level engagement began with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Delhi in January. Modi and the Russian President are expected to meet five times this year beginning with May. The PM will visit St Petersburg in July for BRICS-SCO Summits. The President is likely to visit India later this year for the annual summit.

Meanwhile, a Russian delegation headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of the Russian Federation Georgy Muradov is on a working visit to India.

Meetings with representatives of Indian business and public circles, students and Russian language teachers were held in a constructive atmosphere. Potential opportunities for the development of economic, trade and investment cooperation with the Peninsula were presented. The delegation is also visiting Mumbai.

Source: ET