Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in New Delhi. Lavrov on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in India on Thursday on a two-day official visit, his first visit to the country since Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine last month. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Lavrov will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Friday. A media advisory on Lavrov’s visit issued by the Foreign Ministry did not mention any meeting between the Russian foreign minister and the prime minister.
People familiar with preparations for the talks said India could pressure Russia to ensure timely delivery of various military hardware as well as components of the S-400 missile system. The Foreign Minister of Russia arrived in India after a two-day visit to China. His visit to India is accompanied by US Deputy National Security Adviser Dalip Singh and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India. EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Vicentin visited New Delhi this week. Unlike many other major powers, India has not yet criticized Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and has avoided votes in UN forums condemning the Russian invasion.
However, last Thursday, India blocked a resolution pushed by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, which was seen as reflective of its neutral position on the conflict. India has been pressing for a solution to the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue. Modi held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, March 2 and March 7.
Modi had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky twice. Last week, Jaishankar told parliament that India’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been “steadfast and consistent” and called for an immediate end to the violence.
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