India and Russia will discuss key issues at the bilateral, regional and global levels

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit India next week to hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar. Both sides will discuss the status of the preparations of the Heads of State Meeting.

He will arrive in New Delhi on April 5, announced Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday.

"On April 5-6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay a working visit to New Delhi, during which he will hold talks with his counterpart (External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar)," the spokesperson said at a media briefing in Russia.

"The heads of the foreign affairs agencies will discuss the current state of bilateral relations, the preparation of the upcoming high-level meeting this year, including cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, will consider key topics on the regional, global agenda, assess approaches to the interaction between Russia and India on the international arena, including at the UN, BRICS," Zakharova added.


Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had visited Russia in February this year, where he met Lavrov and discussed wide-ranging Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries and ways to further strengthen it.

Shringla had said they discussed some regional and international issues of interest including cooperation in the UN and UNSC where India is a non-permanent member now.

"We also spoke about issues like Afghanistan, which both countries have a direct interest," he said.