Global South in acute pain, return to table: Jaishankar to Russia

Speaking after the bilateral talks, Jaishankar said India “strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy” and is on the side of “peace, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter”.

He even offered help in issues including food grains and fertiliser shipments, and support for any initiative that de-risks the global economy.

On buying cheap Russian oil, he made it clear that India will continue with the purchases to cater to the needs of its consumers.

While Jaishankar said it is essential that their time-tested defence relationship continues to perform smoothly, Lavrov said they had a detailed discussion on the prospects in military and technical cooperation including joint production of weaponry.

Lavrov expressed appreciation for the Indian position on the Ukraine situation, and briefed Jaishankar on what he called the Russian “special military operation” aimed at “achieving the goals” set by President Vladimir Putin.

He said he discussed how Western countries are using the pretext of Ukraine to dominate the global order.

After the talks, Jaishankar said, “It is natural that as Foreign Ministers, we exchanged views on the international situation from our particular perspectives and vantage points. Obviously, the Ukraine conflict was a dominant feature, although we will continue to have discussions on it.”

“As Prime Minister Modi conveyed to President Putin in Samarkand in September, this is not an era of war. The global economy is simply too inter-dependent for a significant conflict anywhere, not to have major consequences elsewhere. We are seeing a conflict that is coming on top of severe stresses created by two years of Covid. The Global South, especially, is feeling this pain very acutely. India, therefore, strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We are clearly on the side of peace, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter,” he said.

“Insofar as specific initiatives pertaining to issues like food grains and fertiliser shipments are concerned, or any other problem for that matter, India will be as helpful as we can be. Indeed, I would say that for any initiative that de-risks the global economy and stabilises the global order at this stage, India will be supportive,” he said.

Asked about the oil imports from Russia, he said, “There is a stress on the energy markets… This is a stress which has been created by a combination of factors. But, as the world’s third largest consumer of oil and gas, as a consumer where the levels of income are not very high, it is our fundamental obligation to ensure that the Indian consumer has the best possible access on the most advantageous terms to international markets.”

“And in that respect, quite honestly, we have seen that the India-Russia relationship has worked to our advantage. So, if it works to my advantage, I would like to keep it going,” Jaishankar said.

Describing the talks as “very substantial” and “fruitful”, Lavrov said that Russia and India share “close historical links” which are characterised by “mutual respect, self-sufficiency, sustainability to any geopolitical volatility”.

“We were united in our opinion and strengthening the Russian-Indian special privileged strategic partnership is in favour of our people and it contributes to regional and international security and stability,” he said.

“On our part, we expressed our high appreciation of the Indian position on the situation around Ukraine. I have informed the distinguished minister on the current state of military operation which is aimed at achieving the goals which have been set by the President of the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said.

On defence ties, Jaishankar said, “It is also essential that our time-tested defence relationship continues to perform smoothly.”

Lavrov said, “We had a detailed discussion on the prospects in military and technical cooperation including the joint production of weaponry.” He also spoke on cooperation in outer space in areas such as satellite navigation and spatial science.

Apart from the “regular and intensive nature” of the political dialogue between the two countries at the highest level and at the levels of ministers of foreign affairs, he welcomed the “positive dynamics of the bilateral trade”.

Lavrov said bilateral trade witnessed a 130 per cent increase as compared to last year, and is almost reaching USD 17 billion. This, he said, was in line with the target of USD 30 billion, set by the leaders of the two countries.

Jaishankar said that in the last few years, India and Russia have grappled with how to expand bilateral trade and introduce more factors of long-term stability and growth.

“Some of these discussions are now yielding results, accelerated by the stresses that the global economy is currently experiencing, including as a result of the Ukraine conflict. Minister Lavrov and I have noted the significant growth in our bilateral trade this year and focused on how to make it more sustainable,” he said.

He also expressed concern at the trade imbalance: “We are naturally concerned at the trade imbalance and I have raised with the Russian side how to address impediments that stand in the way of greater Indian exports.”

Lavrov also talked about cooperation in the area of logistics and transportation, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, high tech and nuclear.

To which, Jaishankar said, “Promotion of inter-regional cooperation has been a key priority for us, particularly with the Russian Far East. We also discussed enhancing connectivity, including through the International North-South Transport Corridor as well as the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor.”

He also flagged “terrorism, including its cross- border manifestation, as a major concern” – a reference to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

“Where the Indo- Pacific is concerned, both our nations have stakes in its progress and prosperity. We, as partners, highly value the centrality of ASEAN to the larger regional architecture. From the viewpoint of our respective interests, we exchanged views about how the goals of the international community are best served, including in securing the global commons.” This was an oblique reference to China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.