External affairs minister S Jaishankar’s five-day official visit to Russia in December during which he met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin set off a buzz of discontent from several Western nations.
In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, the minister said, “We’ve been under pressure for a few years now where our relationship with Russia is concerned and we stood our ground because, strategically, as I tell people, look at the map of the world, look at this large landmass out there, and I think when you see the mapping of it, I think it makes sense why India and Russia would work closely together. And from our point of view, ultimately any call we take with Russia will be based on our experiences, not on the experiences of other people. And those experiences have been largely positive."
India has held a neutral stand on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, while also advocating for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the situation. In relation to India’s opinion on the conflict, PM Modi in 2021 had also said that “this is not an era of war".
During his visit, Jaishankar had said that the relationship between India and Russia was much deeper than just diplomacy or economics. He also met his counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Russia’s deputy PM Denis Manturov.
India’s import of Russian crude oil has gone up significantly despite increasing disquiet over it in many Western countries.
Jaishankar had a comprehensive exchange of views on bilateral cooperation in trade and economics, energy, defence, connectivity, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between regions of the two countries. He also shared perspectives on global and regional developments including multilateral cooperation.
Three documents relating to the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, an MoU on cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare and a Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations were signed during the visit. "The EAM’s visit to Russia provided an opportunity to review ongoing bilateral cooperation and consider ways to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries," the ministry of external affairs had said in a statement.
The Russian President had also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit next year. “We will be glad to see our friend, Prime Minister Modi in Russia," Putin said during his meeting with Jaishankar.
Upon his visit, “we will be able to discuss all the relevant, current issues and talk to the prospects of the Russian and Indian relationship," Putin said.
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