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Covid-19: India, Russia discuss situation of stranded citizens
These issues figured in a telephone conversation between foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Russia’s deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov, which was a follow-up to a similar conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin on March 25.
India and Russia on Thursday discussed steps being taken by the two sides to counter the Covid-19 pandemic and to help each other’s citizens who have been stranded because of travel restrictions, people familiar with developments said.
These issues figured in a telephone conversation between foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Russia’s deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov, which was a follow-up to a similar conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin on March 25.
Shringla and Morgulov exchanged notes on the evolving situation related to spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and national efforts in both countries to combat and contain the disease, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
The two senior officials appreciated the close bilateral cooperation in ensuring the welfare of each other’s citizens in their countries, and Morgulov thanked Shringla for facilitating the evacuation of stranded Russia nationals, the people said.
There are some 15,000 Indian students in Russia and more than 5,000 stranded Russian tourists currently in India. Russia has evacuated more than 1,000 of its citizens in special flights.
The two sides also decided to remain in touch for “monitoring and facilitating the emergent needs of medicines and equipment on both sides”, said one of the people cited above.
Referring to the Russian chairmanship of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Morgulov informed Shringla of different preparatory meetings which are being held through video conferencing in the coming days, the people said.
A video conference of health ministers of the SCO states is expected to be held in mid-April.
Both sides decided to remain in close touch on the Covid-19 situation and bilateral and multilateral matters, the people said.
