Jaishankar reviews India-Russia ties, with 55 Indians in Russian army still untraced
S Jaishankar with members of the consultative committee during a meeting on India-Russia relations. (Image courtesy: x/@DrSJaishankar)
New Delhi: The external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, chaired a consultative committee meeting on India-Russia relations on Saturday, reviewing trade, investment, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people ties. He reiterated India’s support for dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict. The meeting also examined efforts to secure the early discharge of Indian nationals reportedly serving in the Russian army.
India is seeking more balanced bilateral trade by expanding exports to Russia in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, food products, marine products, engineering goods, chemicals and textiles. The possibility of an India-Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreement also figured in the review, alongside the Chennai-Vladivostok corridor, the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Northern Sea Route.
In a post on X after the meeting, Jaishankar said the discussions covered the “multifaceted engagement” across trade, investments, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people domains, as well as India’s “active support to dialogue & diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict”.
Indians in Russian army, skilled-worker mobility
About 140 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian army have been discharged so far, while New Delhi remains in touch with Russian authorities over the whereabouts of 55 Indians reportedly serving with the force, the committee was told. The government has repeatedly warned citizens against taking up such offers, an issue covered earlier by RNA Media.
The committee was also told that Russia had agreed to take about 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, particularly in construction and logistics. On energy, India reiterated that protecting consumers and maintaining multiple sources of supply remained priorities.
The Ukraine conflict formed the diplomatic backdrop to the review. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, met the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Bishkek on August 31. The two last met in New Delhi on September 11, when they reviewed political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill-mobility and people-to-people cooperation, a meeting covered earlier by RNA Media.
At the September meeting, Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward in resolving conflicts and that India stood ready to assist peace efforts. Putin invited Modi to Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit, which the prime minister accepted, with dates to be decided through diplomatic channels.
