External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a significant bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the Representative Office of the Senate Palace at the Kremlin on Tuesday, marking a key preparatory step for the 23rd Annual India-Russia Summit scheduled for early December in New Delhi. The encounter, which lasted nearly an hour, focused on finalising the summit agenda and provided an opportunity for a detailed exchange on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual concern.
President Putin personally welcomed Dr Jaishankar with a handshake and accepted warm personal greetings conveyed on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The External Affairs Minister briefed the Russian President on the advanced stage of preparations for the upcoming summit, including substantive discussions expected on defence cooperation, energy security, trade in national currencies, and joint initiatives in the Arctic region. Both leaders reviewed evolving geopolitical developments and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
The Indian delegation included Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary Mayank Singh, while the Russian side was represented by senior officials such as Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. The composition of the Russian team reflected the high strategic importance Moscow attaches to the bilateral relationship and to President Putin’s forthcoming visit to India.
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Tuesday’s meeting followed extensive talks between Dr Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday, as well as India’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government meeting hosted by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The sequence of engagements, concluding with President Putin receiving the Indian External Affairs Minister immediately after a multilateral SCO session, underscored Russia’s prioritisation of its partnership with India within the broader Eurasian framework.
With President Putin’s visit to New Delhi now confirmed as one of his final major international engagements of 2025, diplomatic sources indicate that both sides are working to finalise a comprehensive package of agreements spanning energy, defence co-production, technology transfer, and infrastructure connectivity. These outcomes are expected to reinforce the resilience and depth of India-Russia ties amid a rapidly shifting global order.
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