Russia sees strengthening ties with India as foreign policy priority, FM says

Russia considers the development of its relationship with India a key priority in its foreign policy and respects New Delhi’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Speaking in a video address to participants of the international conference “Russia and India: Towards a New Agenda for Bilateral Relations”, Lavrov emphasized that “strengthening the specially privileged strategic partnership with New Delhi is among our unconditional foreign policy priorities,” TASS reports.

“We highly value that this approach is fully shared by our Indian friends,” he added.

Lavrov also praised India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy, noting that “it is deeply worthy of respect that New Delhi conducts an independent foreign policy, consistently placing its national interests first. Consequently, in an emerging multipolar world, India’s influence is steadily growing as one of the largest global political and economic centres of a unique civilization and a great power of the 21st century.”

Highlighting the long-standing friendship between the two nations, the Russian foreign minister said, “The time-tested Russian-Indian friendship is an example of how intergovernmental relations should and can be built — based on equality, mutual trust and respect, and consideration of each other’s interests. The role of a trusting dialogue at the highest level is hard to overestimate.”

By Vafa Guliyeva