Lavrov, Kerry ‘run into each other’ at hotel, have brief chat

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and US special presidential envoy John Kerry were in India for separate bilateral meetings – the Russian minister met his Indian counterpart to prepare the grounds for an annual summit while the US envoy was holding talks aimed at mitigating India’s fossil energy use.

Published on: Apr 7, 2021, 03:27:18 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

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Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and US special presidential envoy John Kerry met briefly in the Indian capital on Tuesday and talked about climate-related matters.

Lavrov travelled to Pakistan from India hours after his talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar. (via AP)

Lavrov and Kerry were in India for separate bilateral meetings – the Russian minister met his Indian counterpart to prepare the grounds for an annual summit while the US envoy was holding talks aimed at mitigating India’s fossil energy use.

“The two ran into each other by happenstance staying at the same hotel and chatted for a few minutes about climate,” the US embassy said without giving details.

People familiar with developments on the Russian side also confirmed the encounter. The people said on condition of anonymity that the meeting was sought by the US side and lasted almost 15 minutes.

Kerry, in his previous role as secretary of state in the Barack Obama administration, and Lavrov had played key roles in the protracted negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The US embassy said that over the next few days, Kerry will meet with a range of representatives of the Indian government, private sector and non-governmental organisations.

Lavrov travelled to Pakistan from India hours after his talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More