Moscow: India and Russia on Thursday vowed to expand their bilateral trade in a “balanced and sustainable manner” with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underlining the need to “swiftly” address non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments.
The resolve by the two countries to enhance two-way trade, including by increasing Indian exports to Russia, came amid growing estrangement in ties between India and the US over President Donald Trump’s policies on trade and tariffs.
“We believe that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War,” Jaishankar said at a joint media briefing with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov after their wide-ranging talks.
“Geo-political convergence, leadership contacts and popular sentiment remain its key drivers,” he said.
The external affairs minister landed in Moscow on Tuesday to fine tune various elements of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, either in November or December.
In their talks, Jaishankar and Lavrov also deliberated on ways to combat terrorism.
On terrorism, we resolved to fight jointly against all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” the external affairs minister said.
“I conveyed India’s strong resolve to adopt a zero tolerance policy against terrorism and our sovereign right to defend our citizens against cross-border terrorism.”
It appeared from Jaishankar’s remarks that boosting two-way trade was a major focus of his talks with both Manturov and Lavrov.
“We reaffirmed our shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including by increasing India’s exports to Russia,” he said.
“This requires swiftly addressing non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments. Enhancing Indian exports to Russia in sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles will certainly help to correct the current imbalance,” he said.
“Steps to ensure the long-term supply of fertilisers were also taken up. Indian skilled workers, especially in IT, construction, and engineering, can address the labour needs in Russia and deepen collaboration.”
Jaishankar said sustaining energy cooperation through trade and investments is also important.
The external affairs minister also took up the issue of some Indians serving in the Russian Army.
“While many have been released, there are still some pending cases and some missing persons. We hope that the Russian side will expeditiously resolve these matters,” he said.
In the meeting, Jaishankar and Lavrov reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Russia to the reform of global governance.
“We underlined the imperative to expand and energise the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary realities. Our collaboration in G20, BRICS and the SCO remains deep-rooted and forward-looking,” he said.
The two sides also deliberated on the situation in Ukraine, West Asia and Afghanistan.
“I want to say that India’s approach continues to emphasise dialogue and diplomacy as essential to resolving differences,” Jaishankar said.
In his opening remarks at the meeting with Lavrov, the external affairs minister made a mention of ongoing preparation for the annual India-Russia summit at the end of the year.
“What I want today is to take those bilateral discussions forward so that we have the maximum outcomes for the Annual Summit when that happens,” he said.
It is learnt that India-Russia energy ties figured prominently in Jaishankar’s talks with Lavrov. US President Trump this month issued an executive order slapping an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as a penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Wednesday.
