India-Russia Relations: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that the Ukraine conflict was a major topic of discussion during his meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday in Moscow. He added that the Global South is feeling “this pain very acutely,” especially after two years of the pandemic.
The developing and underdeveloped nations in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania are referred to as the “Global South.”
“India strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaishankar
Jaishankar stated that India “strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy” and is in favour of “peace, respect for international law, and support for the UN Charter” in his post-bilateral speech.
Even more, he pledged support for any action that lowers the risk to the world economy as well as assistance with matters like shipments of food grains and fertiliser.
He made it plain that India will keep buying inexpensive Russian oil in order to meet the demands of its consumers.
While Jaishankar emphasised the need of maintaining the continuity of their long-standing defence relationship, Lavrov said that they had a thorough conversation about the opportunities for military and technical collaboration, including cooperative manufacturing of weapons.
As he informed Jaishankar about what he described as the Russian “special military operation” aimed at “achieving the goals” set by President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov expressed his appreciation for the Indian attitude on the situation in Ukraine.
He claimed to have talked about how Western nations are attempting to control the world order under the guise of the Ukraine.
Following the discussions, Jaishankar stated,“It is natural that as Foreign Ministers, we exchanged views on the international situation from our particular perspectives and vantage points. Obviously, the Ukraine conflict was a dominant feature, although we will continue to have discussions on it.”
“As Prime Minister Modi conveyed to President Putin in Samarkand in September, this is not an era of war. The global economy is simply too inter-dependent for a significant conflict anywhere, not to have major consequences elsewhere. We are seeing a conflict that is coming on top of severe stresses created by two years of Covid. The Global South, especially, is feeling this pain very acutely. India, therefore, strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We are clearly on the side of peace, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter,” he further said.
“Insofar as specific initiatives pertaining to issues like food grains and fertiliser shipments are concerned, or any other problem for that matter, India will be as helpful as we can be. Indeed, I would say that for any initiative that de-risks the global economy and stabilises the global order at this stage, India will be supportive,” he continued.
Jaishankar on oil imports from Russia
When asked about the oil imports from Russia, he responded, “There is a stress on the energy markets… This is a stress which has been created by a combination of factors. But, as the world’s third largest consumer of oil and gas, as a consumer where the levels of income are not very high, it is our fundamental obligation to ensure that the Indian consumer has the best possible access on the most advantageous terms to international markets.”
“And in that respect, quite honestly, we have seen that the India-Russia relationship has worked to our advantage. So, if it works to my advantage, I would like to keep it going,” Jaishankar stated.
Lavrov called the discussions “extremely substantial” and “fruitful,” noting that India and Russia have “deep historical ties” that are marked by “mutual respect, self-sufficiency, and sustainability against any geopolitical turbulence.”
“We were united in our opinion and strengthening the Russian-Indian special privileged strategic partnership is in favour of our people and it contributes to regional and international security and stability,” he said.
“On our part, we expressed our high appreciation of the Indian position on the situation around Ukraine. I have informed the distinguished minister on the current state of military operation which is aimed at achieving the goals which have been set by the President of the Russian Federation,” Lavrov added.
Jaishankar stated in reference to defence ties, “It is also essential that our time-tested defence relationship continues to perform smoothly.”
Collaboration in space in fields including satellite navigation and spatial research
Lavrov also discussed collaboration in space in fields including satellite navigation and spatial research, saying, “We had a detailed discussion on the prospects in military and technical cooperation including the joint production of weaponry.”
He praised the “good dynamics of the bilateral trade” in addition to the “regular and intensive nature” of the political communication between the two nations at the highest levels and at the levels of ministers of foreign affairs.
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According to Lavrov, bilateral trade has grown by 130% since last year and is almost at USD 17 billion. He claimed that this was in accordance with the goal of USD 30 billion set by the two countries’ leaders.
According to Jaishankar, India and Russia have been debating how to increase bilateral trade and include more elements that will contribute to long-term stability and growth in recent years.
“Some of these discussions are now yielding results, accelerated by the stresses that the global economy is currently experiencing, including as a result of the Ukraine conflict. Minister Lavrov and I have noted the significant growth in our bilateral trade this year and focused on how to make it more sustainable,” he exclaimeed.
The trade imbalance was another issue he brought up to the Russian side, saying, “We are naturally concerned at the trade imbalance and I have raised with the Russian side how to address impediments that stand in the way of greater Indian exports.”
Additionally, Lavrov discussed nuclear, high-tech, and logistical cooperation, as well as the International North-South Transport Corridor.
Jaishankar responded, “Promotion of inter-regional cooperation has been a key priority for us, particularly with the Russian Far East. We also discussed enhancing connectivity, including through the International North-South Transport Corridor as well as the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor.”
In addition, he noted that “terrorism, including its cross-border expression, is a big issue,” referring to terrorism supported by Pakistan.
“Where the Indo- Pacific is concerned, both our nations have stakes in its progress and prosperity. We, as partners, highly value the centrality of ASEAN to the larger regional architecture. From the viewpoint of our respective interests, we exchanged views about how the goals of the international community are best served, including in securing the global commons.” China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific area was implied by this allusion.
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