India and Russia on Monday underscored the steadiness of their long-standing strategic partnership as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, setting the stage for President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to New Delhi.

Jaishankar, in his opening remarks, said the meeting carried “special importance” as both sides prepare for the 23rd Annual India-Russia Summit.

“Our regular interactions — six this year so far — have greatly helped advance bilateral cooperation and enabled us to share perspectives on key regional, global and multilateral issues,” he said.

Several agreements and joint initiatives across diverse sectors are expected to be finalised ahead of the summit. Jaishankar said these developments would “add more substance and tex

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