The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has met with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian Foreign Minister, in Moscow. Jaishankar is in Russia to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting of Heads of Government.
The two ministers discussed various aspects of Russia-India relations and issues on the global agenda, with special attention paid to practical steps towards the further development of trade and economic cooperation, including in the energy and financial spheres, as well as issues concerning defense and logistics cooperation.
They also agreed to continue coordinating approaches to Russian-Indian cooperation within key multilateral formats, such as the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, and the G20.
Jaishankar said, “We exchanged views on the complex global situation with the openness that has always characterized our ties. This includes the Ukraine conflict as well as the Middle East and Afghanistan, amongst others. India supports recent efforts towards establishing peace. An early cessation of the Ukraine conflict and ensuring of an enduring peace is in the interest of the entire international community. India-Russia ties have long been a factor of stability in international relations. Russia’s growth and evolution is not only in our mutual interest but also in that of the world.”
He also highlighted the importance of President Putin’s upcoming India trip, which will take place from December 5th. Putin will be attending the 23rd annual India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will be Putin’s first trip to India since 2021 and comes as New Delhi weighs its options on the import of Russian oil given U.S. penalty tariffs and EU sanctions. According to the latest data, India’s imports of Russian oil in September saw a 16% decline over the previous month.
India and Russia are looking at firming up several agreements, initiatives, and projects to add more substance to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to Delhi.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev visited Delhi last week, when he met Indian Prime Minister Modi and discussed economic issues, including a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union that is currently under negotiation, as well as agricultural trade. The comprehensive agenda is likely to be firmed up during another ministerial visit, possibly by Lavrov, before the December summit.
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Further Reading
Russia-India Bilateral Relations: September 2025 Update
