External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Wednesday met Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta and discussed G20 issues as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation. “Good to meet FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia in Jakarta on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit. Useful stocktaking of our bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Discussed East Asia Summit and G20 issues,” the minister said in a post on social media platform X. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ministers exchanged views on the most pressing issues of bilateral relations and international problems. “They discussed practical steps to further develop trade, economic and energy cooperation as well as interaction in the fields of transport and finances,” the statement said. “Mutual intent to increase coordination in multilateral formats, primarily at the UN as well as within the SCO, BRICS and the G20 platforms, was emphasized,” the statement said. Foreign Minister Lavrov will represent Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit hosted by India in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. President Putin in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month expressed his inability to attend the G20 Summit in India. Jaishankar, who arrived in Jakarta earlier in the day to attend ASEAN Summit-related meetings, also met Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi and discussed the East Asia Summit and the G20 Summit.
