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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday signed and exchanged an MoU with First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov, in Delhi after the completion of the 25th Session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.
Jaishankar said that he co-chaired a productive and wide-ranging 25th meeting of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission in Delhi and thanked Manturov and the delegations for their contribution. "Our deliberations covered the complimentary and beneficial India-Russia economic and trade cooperation, reinforcing critical food, energy & health security and facilitating mobility of talent and skills. Confident that our deliberations today will make a strong contribution to the direction and progress of our strategic partnership," the EAM posted on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1856271114923655657 Manturov is on a visit to India from November 10-12. The IRIGC-TEC mechanism, set up under an Inter-Governmental Agreement, signed in 1992, comprises 14 Working Groups and 6 Sub-Groups in diverse areas. It is the major coordinating mechanism for bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, economic ties, science and technology, and culture, read a press release of the Ministry of External Affairs. The agenda of the 25th Session of the IRIGC-TEC included cooperation in trade, investments, hydrocarbons, nuclear energy, connectivity, agriculture, science and technology, IT, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, fertilizers, education, culture and other areas. The two Co-Chairs expressed satisfaction at the continued progress in bilateral engagement and cooperation, added the release. In the backdrop of decisions taken by the Leaders during the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in Moscow in July 2024, the Co-Chairs directed the Working Groups and Sub-Groups to work expeditiously for early finalization of the Programme of Economic Cooperation 2030 and take steps to enhance market access that could enable businesses communities of the two countries to achieve the bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030. Both sides also agreed to work towards developing a broad-based enabling framework for increasing economic engagement between the two countries. Following the conclusion of the Plenary Session, the Co-Chairs signed a Protocol for the 25th Session of IRIGC-TEC, added the release. The IRIGC-TEC Sessions were preceded by the India-Russia Business Forum, which was convened in Mumbai on November 11 with the participation of the Co-Chairs and which witnessed participation by a wide range of stakeholders including officials as well as representatives from businesses and industries of India and Russia. Some key themes in discussions during the event included manufacturing, connectivity, and investments. Manturov's other bilateral engagements included a call on the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on November 11, and meetings with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, and National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval. The rich exchange of views on matters of mutual interest during the visit of First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov to India will contribute towards developing a better understanding between the countries and help expedite the implementation of bilateral priorities, as well as further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, the release added. (ANI)
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