Russia is reliable and valuable partner for India, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said in response to a question from Sputnik at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday.
"For us, Russia is a very valued partner. It is a very time-tested partner. It is a relationship from which both India and Russia have benefitted enormously," the Indian EAM remarked.
"My presence here today and that all the developments I have pointed out, including growing trade and investments, military-technical cooperation, our connectivity projects... I think all of this will give you a good sense of the value that we attach to the relationship," added Jaishankar.
Russia is a Strong Battery of a Multipolar World Order: Jaishankar
The Indian External Affairs Minister described Russia as a "strong battery of a multipolar order".
Jaishankar noted that the world was changing rapidly, as he cited the example of India which has emerged as one of the fastest growing major economies.
"I mean, today we are moving to be a $4 trillion economy, and if we are growing at 7.7 percent this year, a possibility of improved growth in the future, we do think the world is not what it was. Politics will have to change. The global order will have to change, international economy will have to change," Jaishankar stressed.
He said that the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was not only in the interest of India and Russia, but in the collective interest of the entire global community.
"And, we certainly will give it the highest priority," affirmed Jaishankar.
The Indian top diplomat arrived in Moscow on Monday for a five-day visit. On Tuesday, he met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry, Denis Manturov.
Manturov and Jaishankar co-chaired the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), after which they signed pacts in the realm of civil nuclear cooperation, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.