New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday held talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Rudenko in Moscow, focusing on the entire gamut of bilateral ties and sharing perspectives on pressing regional and global issues, including the Ukraine conflict.
The talks took place amid renewed focus on the Ukraine conflict after US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traded verbal blows at the Oval Office in the White House on Friday last that drew global attention.
Europe has come out in strong support of Zelenskyy following unprecedented scenes that unfolded in the Oval Office.
“During the consultations, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties and also shared perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
It said both sides took stock of progress on the implementation of decisions taken at the annual summit held in Moscow in July between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as talks between the two leaders in Kazan in October.
Misri and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken at the last edition of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation.
The foreign secretary also held meetings with Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office; Yury Ushakov, aide to the Russian President; and Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.
“Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri held Foreign Office Consultations with his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Andrey Rudenko in Moscow,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.
It is not immediately clear whether the issue of the discharge of the remaining Indian nationals serving in the Russian military figured in the talks.
In January, India said 12 Indian nationals had been killed while serving with the Russian military, and another 16 have been listed by Russia as missing.
Misri is in Moscow amid apprehensions in New Delhi over the possible implications of the new Western sanctions against Moscow, especially on India’s energy ties with Russia.
The foreign secretary’s trip to Russia is taking place nearly three months after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the country.
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