India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, is set to embark on a key diplomatic visit to Russia later this week, aiming to bolster the strategic partnership between the two nations. The visit is anticipated to commence during the weekend and extend through the Christmas period. The last visit of EAM Jaishankar to Russia was in November 2022, during which he engaged in discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.
The upcoming talks between Jaishankar and Lavrov are anticipated to cover a range of bilateral and multilateral issues. India and Russia, both key members of international forums such as the United Nations, G20, BRICS, and SCO, have consistently collaborated closely on global platforms. Notably, this year witnessed a series of high-level visits from Russian dignitaries to India, coinciding with India’s presidency of the SCO and G20.
India’s presidency of the G20 saw several visits from Russia, including Foreign Minister Lavrov and Head of the Federation Council (Upper House of Russian Parliament) Valentina Matvienko. Russia’s delegation to SCO meetings featured key figures, including Foreign Minister Lavrov, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The extensive engagement between the two nations extends beyond diplomatic discussions to encompass economic, scientific, technological, and cultural cooperation. The India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration. The IRIGC has two divisions — the Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) led by EAM Jaishankar and Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and the Military & Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) headed by the respective Defense Ministers.
In December 2021, both countries elevated their bilateral cooperation with the inaugural 2+2 Dialogue, where the foreign and defence ministers of India and Russia engaged in discussions alongside the summit-level talks between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
