New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI): India immensely values its relationship with Russia and remains committed to nurturing this deep friendship and exploring new frontiers of cooperation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
In his remarks, delivered online, at the conference ‘Russia and India: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda’, hosted by the Indian Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Council, the EAM said that the two nations “through every shift and realignment, have demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt and to find new opportunities for mutual benefit and for contributing to regional and global stability and prosperity”.
He said “further enhancement of the Special and Strategic Partnership between India and Russia continues to be a shared foreign policy priority”.
“This relationship with deep historical roots and a long tradition of trust and mutual respect, continues to expand and deepen in the backdrop of a dynamic world order.”
The bilateral diplomatic engagements continue to be marked by frequent high-level exchanges, robust institutional mechanisms, and a commitment to each other’s core interests.
“While energy, defence and civil nuclear cooperation have traditionally dominated our engagement, trade, technology, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, connectivity, and digital economy are emerging as new points of collaboration,” he added.
The two nations have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030. Investments by both sides in each other’s economies continue to grow.
“Our participation in multilateral forums such as the BRICS, SCO and the G20 and our collaboration at the UN and other international platforms underscores the comprehensive nature of the cooperation between India and Russia.”
He said the two countries share deep-rooted cultural and people-to-people connections. Russian scholars and intellectuals have long shown interest in India’s spiritual and philosophical traditions, while Indian students, artists and filmmakers have found inspiration in Russia’s literary and artistic heritage, the EAM said.
