In weapons production
Russia and India want to cooperate more closely

December 27, 2023, 15:12

Russia and India want to cooperate more closely in the production of defense equipment. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this after a meeting with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow on Wednesday, according to state news agency Tass. Lavrov did not provide any details.

It is about joint production of modern types of weapons and production of weapons within the framework of India's “Make in India” program. This cooperation aims at strategic security on the Eurasian continent, Lavrov said.

Both sides praised the good bilateral relations. “Our relationship is very strong, very stable,” Jaishankar said before meeting Lavrov. The foreign minister of the world's most populous country is also scheduled to be received by President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov positively emphasized that India acted purely based on national interests on the issue of the war in Ukraine. The leadership in New Delhi is neutral towards Russia's war of aggression, does not support Western sanctions against Moscow and has repeatedly advocated resolving the conflict through dialogue. Since the start of the war, India has increased its imports of cheap oil from Russia. Russia is the second most important oil customer after China, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Nowak said in a television interview.