Afghanistan, strategic partnership the key as Jaishankar meets Russian Foreign Minister tomorrow

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<strong>Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and his counterpart, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, are expected to discuss key directions of the Russian-Indian relations, taking into account the previously reached agreements and upcoming contacts – in particular at the highest and high levels – when they hold talks in Moscow on Friday.</strong></p>
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Jaishankar, who landed in Moscow on Thursday, said that the ability of India and Russia to work together is facilitated by the shared belief in the centrality of the Asean.</p>
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"As we contemplate the future, how we navigate some of the important transitions will help define our further ambitions. India and Russia will definitely see more common opportunities in the regions immediately beyond. New partnerships would also be explored, including in the trilateral formats and connectivity will be increasingly central to our interest," the EAM said while delivering a speech on 'Indian-Russian relations in a changing world' at the prestigious Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Moscow today.</p>
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Russia, meanwhile, said today that the interaction with India is successfully developing in all areas in line with a special and privileged strategic partnership, including political dialogue, security, trade and economic, military-technical, scientific, cultural and humanitarian ties.</p>
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There are effective mechanisms of interstate and interagency cooperation, as well as through the business and expert circles of the two countries.</p>
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"The sides will compare notes on cooperation at the UN, BRICS and SCO platforms, in the RIC format, as well as on major global and regional issues, including the political process in Afghanistan, settlement in Syria, situation around the Iranian nuclear program, approaches to the formation of reliable and indivisible security architecture in the Pacific and Indian oceans," Moscow said in a statement a day ahead of the meeting.</p>
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It added that Russia and India share a similar vision of a model of an emerging more fair and equitable polycentric world order.</p>
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"Our countries demonstrate the similarity or proximity of positions on the most important issues of peace and security. They stand for compliance with international law, strengthening the collective principles of interstate communication, as well as adhere to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of the sovereign states, and respect for the cultural and civilizational identity of peoples."</p>
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Lavrov was in India in the first week of April and had invited Jaishankar to pay a return visit to the Russian Federation.</p>
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"Despite the fact that the world has changed significantly, India and Russia have maintained excellent political relations. In recent years, New Delhi has been concerned about Russian-Chinese bonhomie. Similarly, India’s increasing closeness to the US is being watched carefully in Moscow," Professor Gulshan Sachdeva, Chairperson, Centre for European Studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told IndiaNarrative.com.</p>
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"Still, on many issues including Afghanistan, they can coordinate their positions. On crucial bilateral and global issues, both Indian and Russian policy makers have maintained a high level of mutual trust," adds Sachdeva. </p>
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As reported by IndiaNarrative.com earlier, the two countries have maintained direct contacts, including at the highest level, over the past few months with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin having a telephone conversation on April 28, setting the template for a new round of engagement on a higher plane.</p>
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India is supposed to host the next edition of the India-Russia Summit later this year with a possibility of Putin visiting New Delhi depending on the Covid-19 situation in the region.</p>
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