India-Russia relationship among steadiest in the world, says EAM Jaishankar

Moscow [Russia], July 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday said the relationship between India and Russia has been among the steadiest in the world and called for constant nurturing of the bilateral ties that have remained strong years after the Second World War.

Speaking on “India-Russia ties in a changing world” at an international institute here in Moscow, Jaishankar said, “There is no doubt the relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War.”

On the changes witnessed in the India-Russia bilateral relations, the minister said they have undergone many changes, but the “logic of geopolitics” has remained compelling.

“But at the end of the day, the logic of geopolitics was so compelling that we barely remember these, even as minor aberrations. The undeniable reality of the exceptional resilience of our ties is surely a phenomenon that is worth analysing,” he added.

While lauding the steadiness of the India-Russia ties, the minister also pointed at the paradox relationship. “The paradox is though, that precisely that the relation is so steady, this relationship is sometimes taken for granted. The case for its constant nurturing is as powerful, if not more, than with the more volatile ones,” he said.

On a cautious note, the minister added, “If our ties have remained stable, that is not to say that we have remained static.”

EAM Jaishankar will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday and hold talks on bilateral cooperation at the various multilateral forums and compare notes on major global and regional issues, including the political process in Afghanistan.

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Russia, which began on Wednesday. (ANI)