Russia and India have made tangible progress in negotiations on plans for joint production of military equipment, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, after talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow.
Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov said that such cooperation is of a strategic nature, that it is in the interest of both countries and that it will help ensure security on the Eurasian continent.
He said Moscow respects India’s desire to diversify its military equipment suppliers and is also ready to support New Delhi’s desire to manufacture things India needs in India.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet with Jaishankar later on Wednesday.
Jaishankar said he expects Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet next year.
He added that he and Lavrov discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as bilateral trade and investments.
India has become one of Russia’s key economic partners since the West imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow in 2022 over the war in Ukraine.
