NEW DELHI: Political cooperation between India and Russia has become “more valuable” in a volatile global environment, and both sides can benefit from greater risk reduction and diversification, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.
The two leaders met in New Delhi shortly after Lavrov arrived in the capital to attend the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for May 14-15. Their discussions focused on various aspects of the bilateral strategic partnership and implementation of the decisions taken at the Indo-Russian summit last year, when the two sides agreed to enhance economic cooperation and boost bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
Jaishankar said in a social media post that the “fruitful exchange of views” with Lavrov touched on several aspects of the special and distinguished bilateral strategic partnership, including trade, investment, energy, connectivity, technology and facilitating the mobility of skills and talents.
Earlier, in his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said that there has been steady and sustainable growth in the bilateral partnership in the past few years. He said in televised remarks: “Its economic and energy dimensions have become clearer. Our political cooperation is more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment.”
“The mobility of talent and skills has gained greater importance, and our interest in ensuring better connectivity has become deeper,” he said. “Our two countries have a common interest in promoting multipolarity. We also benefit by increasing diversification and reducing risks.”
Noting that bilateral trade currently amounts to about $60 billion, Lavrov said he has no doubt that the goal of increasing it to $100 billion by 2030 will be achieved. He said: “Cooperation at all levels depends on sustainable structures, which helps in long-term planning and achieving results.”
Lavrov said that Russia supports India’s priorities in the BRICS group, and that cooperation between the two sides in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20 “has become more important at a time when we must find global answers to global problems.” He added: “Problems are not created by all of us, but to solve them, we have to unite our efforts, including in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”
Jaishankar also met with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola and discussed bilateral relations, regional and global issues.
