India, Russia Call Ties a 'Factor of Stability' Ahead of Putin's Visit to Delhi
In a clear signal of continuity amid a turbulent global order, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, and restated the India-Russia relationship as a “factor of stability in international relations.”
The talks, held ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled December visit to New Delhi, focused on advancing bilateral cooperation and aligning perspectives on key geopolitical flashpoints, including the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.
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| India's EAM Jaishankar in Russia, again! Via: MEA/FM |
He added that multiple bilateral agreements and initiatives across sectors were under active discussion and expected to be finalized soon.
These, he said, would "add more substance and texture to our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."
#VideoOfTheDay
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) November 17, 2025
🤝 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov greets Foreign Minister of India Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Russian MFA Reception House in Moscow ahead of talks earlier today
🇷🇺🇮🇳 #RussiaIndia #DruzhbaDostihttps://t.co/QNQvN8lzxR pic.twitter.com/trScxhppoD
Jaishankar underscored that India and Russia’s decades-old relationship was not just mutually beneficial but globally relevant. "India-Russia ties have long been a factor of stability in international relations. Its growth and evolution is not only in our mutual interest but also in that of the world," he said.
The meeting comes at a pivotal juncture. As Russia deepens its realignments amid protracted Western sanctions and as India asserts its strategic autonomy, the enduring partnership between the two nations is being actively reframed through regular high-level engagements.
Jaishankar noted that this was his sixth interaction with Lavrov in 2025 alone — a frequency he said had helped advance not only bilateral ties but also multilateral coordination.
The talks focused on a range of strategic issues. On the Ukraine war, Jaishankar said that India supports "recent efforts towards establishing peace" and hopes “all parties approach that goal constructively.”
He emphasized the need for an "early cessation of the conflict and the ensuring of an enduring peace,” reflecting India’s consistent position advocating diplomacy while maintaining neutral ground.
Lavrov and Jaishankar also reviewed India-Russia coordination within global platforms such as the SCO, BRICS, the G20, and the United Nations, where both countries have frequently called for more balanced, multipolar frameworks.
Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation to the SCO Heads of Government Council meeting, scheduled to be hosted by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on November 18.
#RussiaIndia consultations on maritime cooperation will take place in #NewDelhi today.#DruzhbaDosti https://t.co/HbFc1P9jWB
— Russia in India 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbIndia) November 17, 2025
One major focus of Monday’s meeting was President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, expected in early December. Russian officials reportedly said the summit would be anchored in trade expansion, energy cooperation, and connectivity, including easing payment mechanisms and resolving logistics challenges amid ongoing sanctions.
По прибытии в Москву достопочтенный министр иностранных дел @DrSJaishankar был принят послом @vkumar1969 и г-ном Алексеем Павловским, директором Второго департамента Азии Министерства иностранных дел Российской Федерации. https://t.co/G1A6Mxa7F0
— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) November 17, 2025
Russia has proposed expanding the bilateral economic agenda through long-term solutions, including advancing the India-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement and increasing mutual investments in energy and technology.
Both sides are also moving forward with the opening of two new Indian consulates in Kazan and Ekaterinburg — a move Jaishankar is set to formalize virtually this week.
The Jaishankar-Lavrov meeting was preceded by another critical engagement in New Delhi, where National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with Nikolai Patrushev, Aide to President Putin and Chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board.
Their discussions focused on maritime cooperation and strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific. India’s National Maritime Security Coordinator, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, also participated in the consultations.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Jaishankar and Lavrov also discussed “upcoming political contacts” between the two governments and reiterated shared support for multilateralism and reform in global governance institutions — including the UN Security Council.
"We will be exchanging views on the complex global situation with the openness that has always characterized our ties,” Jaishankar said.
The visit marks Jaishankar’s second to Moscow in under three months. During his last trip in August, he co-chaired the 26th Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation and met President Putin.
That visit laid much of the groundwork for the summit, with both sides pushing to reduce trade imbalances and deepen defense-industrial linkages.
India and Russia first formalized their strategic partnership in 2000, and elevated it to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” in 2010. Now, the relationship continues to serve as a crucial diplomatic and economic bridge, even as global alignments shift around it.
Opening remarks at my meeting with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia in Moscow.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 17, 2025
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In his concluding remarks, Jaishankar emphasized that India sees Russia not just as a partner of the past, but of the future. “We look forward to President Putin’s visit, which will give further momentum to our strategic partnership,” he said.