India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrives in Russia on five-day visit

India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar arrived in Russia on Monday (Dec 25) on a five-day visit. Jaishankar landed in the capital city of Moscow where he will hold talks with his counterpart and discuss bilateral and global issues.

"Arrived in Moscow. Look forward to my engagements," Jaishankar said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The last visit of EAM Jaishankar to Russia was in November 2022, during which he engaged in discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

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Jaishankar also posted a 1962 invite from the then-Soviet Union whichcommemorated Yuri Gagarin's feat of becoming the first human to enter space. Interestingly,Jaishankar's first posting as an IFS (Indian Forest Service) officer was to Moscow.

During the visit, Jaishankar is also expected to travel to St. Petersburg, according to theMinistry of External Affairs (MEA).

"The time-tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterized by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," MEA said in a statement.

"Focusing on the strong people-to-people and cultural ties between our two countries, the external affairs minister's programme will include engagements in Moscow and St. Petersburg," added MEA.

The visit assumes importance as several Russian dignitaries paid high-level visits to India this year, coinciding with New Delhi's presidency of the SCO and G20.

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India’s presidency of the G20 saw several visits from Russia, including Foreign Minister Lavrov and Head of the Federation Council (Upper House of Russian Parliament) Valentina Matvienko.

Russia’s delegation to SCO meetings featured key figures, including Foreign Minister Lavrov, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the relations between Moscow and New Delhi have remained strong. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly called for an end to the war, he has made sure not to antagonise Moscow with any sharp statements, thereby maintaining a delicate diplomatic balance.

(With inputs from agencies)