The External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, met his Russian counterpart, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, in New Delhi on March 1, 2023. On the sidelines of the G20 FMM, talks were held between the two. Dr. Jaishankar wrote on Twitter that he discussed wide-ranging issues with the Foreign Minister of Russia, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, on the G20 FMM sidelines. There was an exchange of views on their bilateral cooperation and G20 issues.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral strategic partnerships, and both sides talked about various ways to boost coordination at the global level, especially at forums like the United Nations, the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and BRICS.
Lavrov arrived in New Delhi late on Tuesday and was among the first G20 foreign ministers to do so. A meeting was held between Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Wednesday.
Lavrov obliquely referred to concerns in Russia about the process of the G20 while he was speaking at the opening of the “Tolstoy-Gandhi Exhibition.” The exhibition was organized as part of the New Delhi World Book Fair.
Speaking in Russian, Lavrov said that they support their Indian friends in their quest to reinforce their genuine multipolarity. He further said that they are committed to shaping a more just and democratic polycentric order of the world. The strengthening of intercultural dialogue within the G20 facilitates the search for mutual trust and practical solutions to contemporary challenges, according to Lavrov, who also argues that Russia supports the respect of the world’s cultural diversity and every nation’s right to independently decide its future.
The Russian foreign ministry stated that Moscow views the G20 as a prominent forum for the world’s top economies, where “balanced” and “consensus” decisions should be taken for the benefit of everybody. This statement was made in conjunction with Lavrov’s visit to India.
Moscow agrees with India’s aims for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, accelerating the realization of sustainable development goals, reforming multilateral institutions, and digital modernization, according to the Russian foreign ministry.
According to the Russian foreign ministry, to accomplish the intended outcome, they want to collaborate with their Indian colleagues while exhibiting the most feasible flexibility. In addition, they will adamantly defend Russia’s fundamental interests as well as a global order based on the UN’s pivotal function and international law.
In a statement, the Russian embassy said that while demonstrating the “greatest flexibility possible,” Moscow will cooperate with New Delhi to secure the desired outcomes at the G20 foreign ministers conference on Thursday. In addition, Russia will support the acceptance of “new global realities that assert a multipolar system of relations” and safeguard its core interests, according to the statement.
The statement stated Russia will push G20 countries to use national currencies for trade, coordinate clearing and settlement processes, and establish “independent insurance plans and transit routes” in an apparent reference to the economic sanctions imposed by the West.
