Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to visit Russia on March 7 to boost ties

New Delhi: To review the overall relationship, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is set to visit Russia on March 7 for the annual foreign office consultations between the two countries, people familiar with the matter said.

The visit will also be an opportunity for India and Russia to exchange views on key regional and global issues, they said on Tuesday.

Misri is also expected to meet members of the top Russian leadership during his day-long visit, the people said on condition of anonymity.

People cited above said possible implications of the new Western sanctions on Russia on New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow may figure during the Foreign Secretary’s meetings with Russian officials.

The visit by the Foreign Secretary is taking place amid renewed focus on the Ukraine conflict after US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traded verbal blows at the Oval Office in the White House on Friday last that drew global attention.

Europe has come out in strong support of Zelensky following unprecedented scenes that unfolded in the Oval Office.

Expanding trade and investment, especially enhancing Indian exports to make two-way trade more balanced, and maintaining Russian energy supplies to India in the face of additional Western sanctions are expected to be among the issues that will figure in the Foreign Secretary’s meetings in Russia, the people said.

Last year, the two sides set a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030.

Two-way trade is currently worth about $66 billion, though it is skewed in Russia’s favour because of India’s massive purchases of crude oil since 2022.

India has sought greater access to Russian markets to make the trade more balanced.

European countries have enhanced sanctions to stymie oil exports by Russia, which is among the top two energy suppliers for India. New sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet have impacted the country’s ability to supply oil around the world.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit is being seen as an opportunity for Russia to brief the Indian side on the latest efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, especially after US President Donald Trump’s overtures to President Vladimir Putin and shift away from the traditional US position of providing security guarantees to Europe.

The issue of discharge of the remaining Indian nationals serving in the Russian military may also figure in the talks.

In January, India said 12 Indian nationals have been killed while serving with the Russian military and another 16 have been listed by Russia as missing.

There is no official announcement yet on the Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit.

Misri’s trip to Russia is taking place nearly three months after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the country.

–IANS