As the Ukraine conflict entered its 37th day today, Russia has once again appreciated India's stand on the situation in the region. Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that India had taken a holistic view of the situation and not been carried away by one-sided narratives. 

"Today, our Western colleagues would like to reduce any significant international issue to the crisis in Ukraine. You know our position. We do not hide anything and appreciate that India is considering this situation in its entirety of facts, not in a one-sided way," said Lavrov at the start of his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday.

Ever since Moscow launched its 'special military operation' in neighbouring Ukraine on February 24, India has maintained that only diplomacy and dialogue will lead to the ending of hostilities.

"Our meeting today takes place in a difficult international environment quite apart from the pandemic. India, as you are aware, has always been in favour of resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and diplomacy," said Jaishankar in his opening remarks while welcoming Lavrov.

The Russian Foreign Minister, who is slated to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stressed that developing a strategic partnership with New Delhi remains one of the key priorities of Russian foreign policy.

"The President (Vladimir Putin) and the Prime Minister (Indian PM Narendra Modi) are in constant contact, I will report to the President on these negotiations. He conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Modi, and I am grateful for the opportunity to convey these wishes personally," he highlighted.

Lavrov insisted that friendship is the "key word" to describe the history of relationship between the two countries and it has been "very stable over many difficult periods" in the past.

"I have no doubt that mutual respect and the search for a balance of interests will prevail in our relations in the future as well," the top Russian diplomat added.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com earlier, Lavrov's visit to India, first since the start of conflict in Ukraine, comes during extraordinary uncertainty surrounding the global economy and rapidly changing world scenario.  

As Moscow battles sanctions from several countries over Ukraine, certain reports have suggested that Russia is offering massive concessions to India on direct oil sales.

In New Delhi today, the Russian Foreign Minister said that the senior representatives from both the countries are finalising the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission in the field of economic cooperation.

"We continue to implement projects in the field of energy, science and technology, outer space, and the pharmaceutical industry," Lavrov said.

India highlighted that 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the bilateral relations continue to grow in many areas as New Delhi and Moscow have diversified their cooperation by expanding the agenda.

"Despite the Covid related difficulties, last year turned out to be one of intense bilateral activity that included holding the inaugural 2+2 meeting and, of course, the 21st Annual Summit. Prime Minister Modi and President Putin have been in regular touch and have spoken to each other on multiple occasions this year," said EAM Jaishankar ahead of the talks. 

रूसी विदेश मंत्री सर्गेई लावरोव यात्रा पर भारत पहुंचे 🇷🇺🇮🇳 #Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov arrived in #NewDelhi with an official visit. Tomorrow he will hold talks with @DrSJaishankar. He will also be received by the Indian @PMOIndia Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/yjLrta2Z7y

— Russia in India 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbIndia) March 31, 2022

Lavrov arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening after attending the third conference of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighbouring Countries beginning in China's Tunxi.

In Tunxi, the Russian Foreign Minister had also held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who had visited New Delhi only last week.

Lavrov's trip to China and India happens in the backdrop of Moscow making intense efforts to increase cooperation with its partners New Delhi and Beijing through the RIC (Russia-India-China) format in the region.

The Russian Foreign Minister is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today and brief him on the military operation of the Russian forces in Ukraine and the dynamics of the negotiation process with the Kiev regime.

New Delhi has reiterated time and again that the strategic partnership between the two countries is symbolic of the long standing and time-tested India-Russia relations characterized by mutual trust, respect for each other's core national interests and similarity of positions on various international and regional issues.
 
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