Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet and hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday. Lavrov is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lavrov arrived in India on Thursday after his two-day visit to China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi received Lavrov at the airport. This is his first visit to India after Russia launched a ‘special military operation’ on Ukraine.
Let us tell you that earlier the foreign ministers of many countries including China had sought time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the Prime Minister’s Office did not give time to any foreign minister. Today, if the Russian Foreign Minister gives time to meet PM Modi, then it will be another seal on the unbreakable friendship of India-Russia.
Before meeting the Russian Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar had a meeting with his British counterpart Liz Truss in Delhi. The two leaders discussed at length Russia’s war in Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also recently visited New Delhi.
A PTI report said India may press for ensuring timely delivery of various military hardware during its meeting with the Russian foreign minister. It also said that India may seek timely delivery of S-400 missile systems by Russia.
Lavrov held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday and both sides resolved to strengthen bilateral ties. The Russian Foreign Minister participated in two multinational meetings in Afghanistan with representatives from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
India has so far maintained a neutral position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. India has also refrained from voting on all resolutions condemning Russia’s aggression in the United Nations.
On Lavrov’s visit to India, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said they were not trying to change relations between Russia and India. “Different countries are going to have their own relations with the Russian Federation. It’s a fact of history. It’s a fact of geography. It’s not something we want to change,” he said.