News Desk 7

Manturov, on a two-day visit to India, also held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, adding strategic significance to the discussions.

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with both sides discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as investment, energy and fertilisers.

Manturov, who is on a two-day visit to India, also held separate meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, adding strategic significance to the discussions.

According to an official Indian readout, Manturov briefed the Prime Minister on progress in mutually beneficial areas, including trade, economic partnership, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. PM Modi, in turn, recalled the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India in December for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit and expressed satisfaction over the implementation of its outcomes.

It also said PM Modi expressed satisfaction at the sustained efforts being made by both sides towards implementation of the outcomes from the summit.

The Prime Minister also conveyed his greetings to President Putin and expressed hope for continued high-level exchanges between the two countries.

PM Modi also shared a post on X and said that both sides discussed mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of trade, fertilizer supplies, people-to-people ties between our countries, and connectivity.

“I welcome the consistent efforts being made by both sides to implement the decisions taken at the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, held during President Putin’s visit to India in December last year,” he said.

The Russian embassy said that PM Modi and Manturov discussed “specific steps to implement agreements reached” during the India-Russia summit held in December last.

“Particular attention was paid to further strengthening Russia-India trade, economic, investment, energy and industrial cooperation,” it said on a post on X.

In their meeting, Doval and Manturov were learnt to have discussed bilateral defence cooperation besides the evolving regional security situation including the West Asia conflict.

The Russian deputy PM’s visit to New Delhi comes days after India cleared procurement of a fresh batch of five S-400 missile systems from Russia.

The decision to procure the additional batch of five S-400 air defence missile systems was taken against the backdrop of the missile system proving its capability during Operation Sindoor.

The missile system played a crucial role in India’s dominance over Pakistan during the May 7-10 hostilities last year.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Three squadrons have already been delivered.

In the talks, the two sides are also expected to exchange views on the West Asia conflict and its impact on global economy, especially on the energy sector.

It is learnt that both sides also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken at the summit talks between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Putin last December.

Following talks between the two leaders, India and Russia unveiled a raft of measures including a five-year roadmap to build a robust economic partnership and to increase the annual trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.

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