Lagatar24 Desk
Moscow, Nov 8: Russian connections have benefited India, and New Delhi wants to maintain that relationship, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who reiterated close ties with Moscow on Tuesday. He described Russia as a reliable and experienced partner.
These comments were given by Jaishankar and Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, at a press conference held together in Moscow.
“There is stress on the energy market created by a combination of factors. But as the world’s third-largest consumer… a consumer where the level of income is not very high, it is our obligation to ensure that the Indian consumer has the best possible access to the most advantageous terms on the international market,” he said answering a question about India’s increasing oil import amid western outcry.
“…in that respect, the India-Russia relationship has worked to my advantage. If it works to my advantage, I would like to keep that going,” he added.
According to the minister of external affairs, the fact that he is in Moscow to assess bilateral cooperation says a lot about it.
“The fact that I am here today with a delegation to review our cooperation speaks about India-Russia cooperation to see how we can take it forward to create a long-term and sustainable basis, says it all,” he said.
“I said any objective evaluation of our relations for many decades would confirm that it has served both our countries very well, If it has served my country for many many decades. I think you can see the obvious interests and commitment I would have in keeping that relationship strong and steady,” he added.
