Diplomatic Dialogues: Jaishankar's Strategic Russia Visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visits Russia to participate in the SCO Heads of State Council meeting. He will engage with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on various global issues and prepare for President Putin's visit to India. He will also virtually open new Indian consulates.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar commenced a significant three-day visit to Russia, aimed at attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of State Council meeting.

Upon landing, Jaishankar was greeted by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Alexei Pavlovsky from Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Later, he is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to deliberate on bilateral, regional, and international matters, including SCO, BRICS, the UN, and G-20 coordination, as reported by TASS, a state-run news agency.

In anticipation of President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to India, the ministers are set to discuss preparations. Jaishankar, representing Prime Minister Modi, will attend the SCO prime ministers' council meeting on Tuesday. Additionally, he plans to inaugurate new Indian consulates in Kazan and Ekaterinburg via virtual session.

(With inputs from agencies.)