India, Russia hold discussions on UNSC agenda, agree to deepen ties on counter-terrorism

India and Russia on Thursday held a wide-ranging discussion on issues on the UN Security Council agenda and agreed to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism at the UN and other multilateral platforms.

"Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation for consultations on United Nations-related issues with Russian Foreign Ministry officials on 28 July 2022 in Moscow. The Indian delegation included the Ambassador of India in Moscow, along with other officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of India in Moscow," the Ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

"The Russian delegation was led by Mr Sergey Vasilyevich Vershinin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and included other senior officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry," it added.

According to the MEA statement, both sides held wide-ranging discussions on issues on the UN Security Council agenda and recent developments. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism at the UN and other multilateral platforms. During the meeting, the Indian delegation briefed Russia on its priorities during its upcoming Presidency of the UNSC in December 2022."During the visit, Secretary (West) also met with Mr Oleg Vladimirovich Syromolotov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss mutual cooperation on counter-terrorism-related issues. He is also scheduled to hold discussions on Arctic issues with Mr Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Cooperation," the MEA release said

.Russian envoy to India Denis Alipov said he held a meeting with Indian Petroleum Secretary and discussed the cooperation of the two nations in the energy sector."On July 28, had a cordial meeting with Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Discussed prospects for Russia-India cooperation in the energy sector including our joint ongoing projects," Alipov tweeted.

At the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit last year, the two sides assessed the multi-faceted India-Russia relations that span various areas of cooperation including economy, energy, military and security cooperation. They noted that while the traditional areas of cooperation are being further strengthened, new drivers of growth have led to diversification and expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Russia`s envoy Denis Alipov on Tuesday underlined the strength of bilateral ties with India, saying the positive dynamics of trade between the two countries will continue despite the West's sanctions against Moscow.

In an interview with Sputnik News India, Alipov said there were certain difficulties with trade after the start of the Ukraine conflict but added that both countries have successfully overcome most of these barriers. He said sanctions will certainly throw up challenges but the cooperation will continue based on common interests.