Russian, Indian Foreign Ministers Hold Talks In New Delhi After Pandemic Pause

(@FahadShabbir)

Russian, Indian Foreign Ministers Hold Talks in New Delhi After Pandemic Pause

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, Subramanyam Jaishankar, are holding active political talks in the Indian capital, New Delhi, following a pause due to coronavirus pandemic

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2021) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, Subramanyam Jaishankar, are holding active political talks in the Indian capital, New Delhi, following a pause due to coronavirus pandemic.

Before the negotiations, Lavrov and Jaishankar met at the entrance to the palace named after Indian politician Sushma Swaraj. Instead of the traditional handshake, the ministers greeted each other by touching forearms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are now having a season of very active political dialogue after a pause caused by the coronavirus," the Russian minister said at the beginning of the meeting.

Lavrov recalled that it is the fourth meeting of the ministers in a year.

"Today's negotiating marathon will be crowned by the summit. I am sure it will be one of the landmark events in Russian-Indian relations. An entire package of important documents has been prepared, so we will do everything to ensure that the decisions made today are implemented accurately," Lavrov stressed.

His Indian counterpart noted the special role of the bilateral relations, which are developing in the changing geopolitical conditions.

"And let me note that we are more than satisfied with the level of our relations and our cooperation," Jaishankar said.

The minister also expressed hope for the productivity of the negotiations.

"Look forward to a good discussion on our bilateral cooperation and the global situation. Will also be participating in the first 2+2 meeting thereafter," Jaishankar wrote on Twitter.

Russian and Indian Defense Ministries Sergey Shoigu and Rajnath Singh are expected to join Lavrov and Jaishankar in the 2+2 meeting.

In November, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that this meeting would be the first in a 2+2 format with Indian partners. Such consultations are now expected to be held on a regular basis.

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also pay an official visit to New Delhi for the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit to be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.