EAM S Jaishankar, who is currently on a visit to Moscow, lauded the Indo-Russian ties. Said that New Delhi is looking forward to hosting the Russian president

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday, July 7, said that New Delhi was looking forward to hosting President Vladimir Putin for the Indo-Russian bilateral summit. Jaishankar was speaking at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow when he made the comment. The EAM also said that the relation between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War.

EAM S Jaishankar, delivering a speech on ‘India-Russia ties in a changing world’, spoke about the common challenges the two countries face. Jaishankar said, “Our big issues have been combating terrorism, climate change. India and Russia on all these issues are unquestionably on the same page, we've been victims of radicalization.” He also shed light on the collaborations the two countries are making.

“Many collaborations underway, starting with Sputnik vaccine. There is investment in the energy sector, pharmaceuticals, Agro-industries, medical devices... Collaboration in railways and waterways can make a difference to India's development. There is a strong sense of multipolarity. Our past may be different, but what we have in common is a strong sense of national interest and national resolve,” he added.

He further explained, “Links b/w Indian and Russia have been steadiest after the second world war. There've been many changes from time to time, but this of 'Geopolitics' was so intact that we barely remember aberrations.” The minister also said that the India-Russia relationship is sometimes taken for granted. “There’s no doubt that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War,” he said.

He went on to say that the Russians will surely recall the ups and downs in the ties with the US, Europe, China or Japan or Turkey and Iraq. “Where India-Russia bilateral ties are concerned, there have been many changes, even issues from time to time. But at the end of the day, the logic of geopolitics was so compelling that we barely remember these even as minor aberrations. We, of course, look forward to hosting the President (Putin) in India for the annual bilateral summit,” Jaishankar, who is currently on his visit to the Russian Federation said.