India and Russia have started discussions to talk about potentially producing military weapons in coordination with one another as Moscow continues its war on Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that relations between the two nations are progressing. Jaishankar's trip to Russia will last for five days.
India and Russia Relations
Putin said he would inform the Indian diplomat about the fighting in Ukraine, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a neutral stance on. The Russian president noted that the Indian official wants to resolve the issue peacefully.
India is increasingly important for Russia as the former is a market for oil exports, the backbone of the latter's economy. This is because Western sanctions have curtailed oil shipments.
In a statement, the Indian foreign minister said that making their trade interaction more sustainable was crucial. He noted they must think hard about achieving such a feat between the two countries, as per Defense News.
On top of meeting with Putin, Jaishankar also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said they discussed the "prospects for military-technical cooperation, including the joint production of modern types of weapons."
The Indian foreign minister also praised the "all-time high" trade turnover between India and Russia, which he said had exceeded $50 billion last year. Jaishankar noted that they expect to exceed that number this year.
Lavrov said that the cooperation between the two nations is strategic and corresponds to the national interests of both states, including maintaining security in the Eurasian continent.
The Russian foreign minister noted that they respected the aspirations of their Indian colleagues in their effort to diversify their military and technical links. He added that they understand that and expressed readiness to support India's initiative to produce military products as part of the "Make in India" program," according to Nikkei Asia.
Joint Military Weapons Production
When Putin met with Jaishankar, he invited Modi to visit Russia, saying he would be happy to see him in his country. He added that the two leaders have "to cover a lot of ground."
Jaishankar and Putin, when talking about Ukraine, discussed Modi's position on "hot spots" and the "situation in Ukraine." The Russian president said he had repeatedly shared information regarding Ukraine with the Indian prime minister.
The Indian foreign minister later posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "honored to call on President Vladimir Putin" and Jaishankar added that he appreciated the guidance on the further developments of the two nations' ties.
Lavrov said that India and Russia's relationship goes beyond bilateral ties, noting that they are interested in "building an international political and economic system that would be open and fair for everyone."
The situation comes as the Biden administration is making efforts to make supporting Russia costly. Despite this, American officials have generally avoided making criticisms of India to the public, said the New York Times.
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