Bilateral relations, especially security and defense relations, and the conflict in West Asia are expected to top the agenda of Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov’s visit to India this week.
Manturov, who begins his two-day visit on Thursday, is scheduled to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Doval and Manturov are expected to discuss cooperation in vital areas such as defence, security, energy and trade. After being exempted from US sanctions for a month, Russia has once again become the largest supplier of crude oil to India in recent weeks.
Before Manturov’s visit, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko chaired Foreign Ministry consultations in New Delhi on March 30, where bilateral relations were reviewed and views were exchanged on regional and global issues.
The two sides also evaluated the progress made in implementing the decisions taken at the India-Russia summit in New Delhi last December, which focused on economic cooperation.
Manturov’s visit comes on the heels of the Indian government’s decision to acquire five more S-400 air defense systems from Russia following the system’s performance during Operation Sindoor, the four-day conflict with Pakistan last year.
India struck a $5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to buy five S-400 air defense systems despite a US warning that the contract could attract sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Russia has delivered three of these systems so far, although the delivery of the remaining two batteries was affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Manturov’s interactions are also expected to focus on the ramifications of the conflict in West Asia on the global economy, especially disruptions in energy supplies.
During last year’s summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two sides unveiled several measures to strengthen economic ties, including a five-year roadmap and a goal to increase trade to $100 billion by 2030. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week praised India’s “independent foreign policy” and said Moscow looked forward to Modi’s visit this year.
