August 20, 2025
NEW DELHI – Amid ongoing tariff tensions between India and the United States, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will undertake a three-day official visit to Russia beginning Tuesday aimed at deepening the longstanding India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
Jaishankar’s visit comes amid escalating trade tensions between India and the United States over India’s oil purchases from Russia. US President Donald Trump recently increased tariffs imposed on Indian goods to 50 per cent, in what is seen as a sign of his frustration over failing to stop the Russia-Ukraine war.
“At the invitation of First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr Denis Manturov, the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, will undertake an official visit to Russia on 19-21 August 2025 to co-chair the 26th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) scheduled for 20 August 2025,” according to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement on Tuesday.
Jaishankar will address the India-Russia Business Forum meeting in Moscow.
During the visit, the EAM will also meet the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr Sergey Lavrov, and review the bilateral agenda and share perspectives on regional and global issues.
“The visit aims to further strengthen the longstanding and time-tested India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” the statement added.
Jaishankar’s visit follows National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval’s recent trip to Moscow, where he held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov, and Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu.
The upcoming talks also come close on the heels of the Jaishankar-Lavrov meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meet on July 15, and their engagement during the BRICS Summit last month, where the leaders deliberated on bilateral cooperation, West Asia, BRICS, and SCO.
Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Moscow to hold bilateral Foreign Office Consultations with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.
During the consultations on March 7, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties and also shared perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Both sides took stock of progress on implementation of decisions taken at the 22nd Annual Summit held in Moscow in July 2024, the meeting in Kazan on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, the 25th session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation held in New Delhi in November 2024, and other high level engagements.
In November 2024, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and EAM Jaishankar co-chaired the 25th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade. Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Cooperation in New Delhi.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to visit India following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit is being planned as part of the ongoing commitment to annual meetings between the two leaders.