Shringla visit sets tone for India-Russia talks

New Delhi, February 25

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s visit to Moscow last week helped strengthen India-Russia partnership as well as set the tone for high level exchanges during the year, said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava at the weekly media briefing today.

Invites Russian Foreign Minister

• Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla handed over a letter of invitation to visit India to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The latter has accepted the invitation.
• Russia has expressed keen interest in investing in new technologies. Shringla also inaugurated a digital online library in the Indian Embassy in Moscow.

This was the Foreign Secretary’s first visit abroad this year which `”reaffirms the importance” that India attaches to its partnership with Russia, he added.

In an indirect rebuttal of the impression that India-Russia ties are nose-diving after no summit meeting was held last year, the MEA pointed out that there were four telephonic conversations during 2020 between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Putin.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit was preceded by India-Russia Consultations on UNSC issues and policy planning

dialogue at the Joint Secretary level. Earlier, Secretary (West) Vikas Swaroop

had visited Moscow for consultations with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich on UNSC issues. — TNS