Abhijay Raj Vaish, Pune
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) NSA’s meeting in St. Petersburg. The visit served as a platform where NSA Doval briefed Putin of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and his talks held with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Russian President proposed for a bilateral meet with PM Modi on October 22 in Kazan in light of the BRICS summit that both leaders are expected to attend. The proposed dialogue would be to encapsulate the outcomes of the agreements reached during Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Moscow. Putin also expressed his gratitude for the robust strategic partnership between both the nations and urged the Indian contingent to continue talks on security issues for fostering optimum bilateral relations.
Ajit Doval also held talks with Russian NSA, Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday to discuss the mutual interests of both nations ranging from defence projects to space cooperation. The three-day visit also involved meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to ascertain the course of military- disengagement on the Line of Actual Control on an urgent basis. The meeting also allegedly discussed the possibility of a meet between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS meet next month. This was followed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar claiming that 75 percent of the military disengagement has already been carried out by both India and China while addressing an audience in Geneva on Thursday.
India is expected to play an active role in the peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict as asserted by PM Modi in his visit to Ukraine on August 23. He encouraged both nations to sit together and find a solution to the ongoing war and restore peace in the region. NSA Doval was a part of the Indian contingent that accompanied Mr. Modi for his visit to both nations. Putin had also cited India, China and Brazil as possible cooperators for peace talks between both nations at the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok on September 5.