The two sides discussed various issues, including forthcoming BRICS, SCO meets to be held in Russia

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday.

During the conversation, as per the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides discussed forthcoming high-level meetings in the framework of BRICS and SCO meets and various levels of preparatory work up to the India-Russia summit which is scheduled to be held later this year.

The Foreign Secretary and the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister also exchanged views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest reflecting common ground and approaches. Both sides agreed to maintain regular contacts between them.

While BRICS represents half the world’s population, SCO is seen as a counterpart of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). India became a member of SCO in 2017.

SCO covers the region from the Arctic Sea to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. This area comprises at least 44 per cent of the world’s population. SCO aims for stability and peace in the region. Both BRICS and SCO meets will be chaired by Russia in 2020.