External affairs minister S Jaishankar will embark on a five-day visit to Russia from December 25 for meetings with the top leadership in Moscow aimed at bolstering bilateral ties.
The visit during December 25-29 is part of ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides, the external affairs ministry said on Sunday.
Jaishankar will meet Russia’s deputy prime minister Denis Manturov, who is also the industry and trade minister, to discuss matters related to economic engagement. He will also meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for discussion on bilateral, multilateral and international issues, the ministry said.
Besides focusing on the strong people-to-people and cultural ties between the two countries, Jaishankar’s programme will include engagements in Moscow and St Petersburg.
READ | Trade, energy, connectivity on table during Jaishankar’s Russia visit next week
“The time tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterised by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” the ministry said.
Jaishankar’s visit assumes significance as India and Russia will not hold their annual leaders’ summit this year, people familiar with the matter said. The last summit was held in New Delhi in December 2021, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s travels have been curtailed since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Jaishankar’s visit assumes significance as India and Russia will not hold their annual leaders’ summit this year, people familiar with the matter said. The last summit was held in New Delhi in December 2021, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s travels have been curtailed since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Among the issues that are expected to figure in the meetings in Moscow are trade, connectivity, expansion of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) grouping, cooperation at multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, defence cooperation, and the war in Ukraine, the people said.