Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale met on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue organized by the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the gathering, the two sides took note of the Russian-Indian Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, an issue of mutual interest as well as bilateral interests was discussed.
Both Gokhale Ryabkov also talked about the execution of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to resolve the circumstances around the Iranian nuclear program.
They also discussed in detail the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), other issues of the current global schedule issues in the field of arms control and non-proliferation of WMD.
In a joint statement free at the end of the India-Russia annual summit in New Delhi, it stated: "The two sides underlined the importance of the full and effective accomplishment of the Joint complete Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear programme in order to support international peace and security, to strengthen non-proliferation regime and to develop normal economic cooperation with Iran. They called for all issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme to be determined peacefully and through dialogue."
Both sides also reaffirmed the promise to the form a polycentric world order based on fair and self-governing main beliefs and the rule of law.
On Wednesday the visiting minister had told a group of journalists that there won't be any delays in delivering the S-400 air defense systems to India within the timeframe decided under a contract between the two countries.
Earlier this week, in a telephonic discussion Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, had pledged to augment efforts to develop the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
Besides exchange New Year greetings, the Russian leader reiterates an invite to Modi to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2019 as the main visitor.
According to the MEA, the two leaders "appreciated the major milestones achieved in the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the past year".
"The influential decided to uphold the impetus in the bilateral relations…. Bilateral cooperation in the key areas counting defense and counter-terrorism was also discussed," the statement added.
Just last month, the two countries had reviewed the progress made on the various project between the two countries at the 18th session of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation (IGC-MTC) in New Delhi.
As reported by Financial Express Online, the two countries had discussed the draft on the military Logistic Sharing conformity and set up a working group on military collaboration was created within the IGC-MTC format.
The draft agreement is being worked up with the Russians and it will be shared with them soon. India already has such Logistic Sharing agreements with countries counting the US, Singapore, France, and Oman.
As has been reported earlier, the IGC-MTC was set up in October 2010. The commission meets once a year, alternating between the capital cities of the two countries.
Since last October the two countries have inked major multi-billion dollar defense deals including the $5.43 billion S-400 Triumph contract, the two countries also recently signed a $1.5 billion deal for two Project 1135.6 frigates to be equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles which is a joint venture between India and Russia.
