External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Monday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh on the margins of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The meeting came amid attempts by India and other friendly nations to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to bring their ongoing conflict to an end.
”Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with #India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar,” the Russian Embassy in New Delhi wrote in a social media post on X.
Dr Jaishankar also had bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Brazil, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Riyadh.
Dr Jaishankar is in Riyadh to attend the maiden India-GCC Council foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue. In addition to India, the GCC will hold a strategic dialogue with Russia and Brazil.
The meeting between Dr Jaishankar and Mr Lavrov came amid India’s decision to send National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Moscow this week to attend a conclave of NSAs of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) countries. Mr Doval’s visit will also provide him an opportunity to discuss with the Russian leadership various proposals for bringing the Ukraine conflict to an end, sources said.
Mr Doval’s visit to Russia comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Ukraine. The PM had in July visited Russia and called for an early resolution of the conflict through peaceful talks. Several Western nations believe India could play a role in ending the conflict, given its friendship with both Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, ANI quoted Ukraine Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk as saying he hopes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his discussion with PM Modi during the latter’s visit to Kyiv, convinced him to play a more significant role as a leading nation in peace negotiations.
”Unfortunately, we didn’t see India on the list of countries that signed the final communiqué after the summit in Switzerland, but there’s still an open opportunity to join in some capacity. The summit focused on crucial issues like nuclear security and food security, which are especially important for this region. At the next summit, we hope India will participate at a senior level. We would be very happy if the Prime Minister finds the time to attend this summit, participate in discussions, and contribute directly to the main sessions because his voice is highly respected worldwide,” he said.