EAM Jaishankar inaugurates 2 consulates in Russia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday inaugurated two new Indian consulates in Russia, saying their establishment will act as a "catalyst" in increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.

Expanding its diplomatic footprint in Russia, India opened the new Consulates General in the major regional capitals of Yekaterinburg and Kazan.

Till now, Indian consulates were in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, according to the website of the Indian Embassy in Russia.

Out of more than 30,000 Indian students studying in Russia, 10,000 students will benefit from the consular services provided by the two new consulates.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, India's Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, representatives of heads of government in Kazan and Yekaterinburg and prominent members of the Indian community were present at the function held to mark the opening.

"This is a very important day in the diplomatic history of India in the Russian Federation," Jaishankar said.

The top Indian diplomat alluded to the days when he had served in diplomatic assignments at the Indian embassy in Moscow.

"This is an important day for us, when we are adding two more Consulates General in this country... Over the last few months, consistent work has been underway to establish these consulates," he said and asserted that India recognises the support received from the Russian government.

Jaishankar said the opening of these consulates will "not only enhance our diplomatic presence" in Russia, but will act as a "catalyst" to further boost trade, encourage tourism, and bolster economic, scientific, technology, and even academic and cultural ties between the two countries.

"The consulates will contribute to our joint efforts in increasing our bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030 as envisaged by the leaders," he said.

Jaishankar said Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains is often called the "third capital of Russia" due to its industrial importance, and is a "gateway to Siberia".

It is known for its heavy engineering, gem cutting, defence manufacturing, metallurgy, nuclear fuel, chemicals and medical equipment, he said.

"The opening of the consulate will give impetus to enable and to strengthen technological, scientific, economic and trade collaborations between Indian and Russian industries," the external affairs minister said.

Kazan, one of the most visited cities of Russia, hosted the 2024 BRICS summit, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I had the pleasure of going there myself, after Moscow and St Petersburg, and with good reasons," Jaishankar said.

The region is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic hub and acts as a "bridge between Russia and the rest of Asia".

The consulate will help strengthen people-to-people ties by encouraging cross-cultural exchanges and ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) participation, he said.

Kazan is well known for its oil production and refining, for fertilisers, automobiles, defence manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and electrical equipment, the minister said.

"I am confident that with the opening of the two new consulates, there will be a further strengthening of India-Russia ties and this will surely mark a new phase in our relationship," the EAM asserted.

Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, situated on the bank of the Volga, is Russia's gateway to Asia, and is known for the petrochemical, automobile and aircraft industries, and it is also an acclaimed scientific and educational centre.

In July 2024, India and Russia set a target of USD 100 billion in annual trade volume by 2030 and vowed to develop a robust bilateral payment settlement mechanism using national currencies.

The two sides had also inked a total of nine agreements to further broadbase cooperation in a range of areas, including in the economic domain, following summit talks between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Modi had paid a two-day visit to Russia last year, his first to the country since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Jaishankar said that there is a sizeable and diverse Indian diaspora in Russia, which includes more than 30,000 Indian students today.

"Out of these approximately 7,000 reside in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Kazan and 3,000 in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Yekaterinburg. And, I am confident that the Indian diaspora, business community, but most of all, our youngsters, students.. they will benefit from the consular services and the diplomatic presence of India in these two regions," he added.

Jaishankar, who is also co-chair of the Indo-Russian Joint Commission, earlier had a fruitful meeting with Russian Deputy PM Denis Manturov to finalise the agenda of the bilateral summit in New Delhi in the first week of next month.

He also interacted with members of the Indian community and friends of India in Moscow.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi in Moscow. "His ideals and teachings are more relevant than ever," he said.

On Tuesday, he twice met with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, as part of a delegation of SCO leaders and in the late evening for a separate bilateral meeting to discuss key issues for the Russian leader's visit to Delhi for an annual summit.