Moscow, August 2026 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and conveyed a “personal message” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming the close and longstanding strategic partnership between India and Russia.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar said on X that he had briefed Putin on the discussions held during the 27th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). The two leaders also exchanged views on important regional and global developments.
“Pleased to call on President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow today. Handed over a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Jaishankar said.
He added that he briefed the Russian President on the deliberations of the IRIGC-TEC and the review of bilateral cooperation across a broad range of sectors. Jaishankar also said that the discussions covered regional and international issues of mutual importance.
The Kremlin said Putin welcomed Jaishankar’s visit, describing it as a reflection of the high level of relations established between India and Russia over several decades.
Putin noted that Moscow and New Delhi continue to cooperate across virtually all major areas, including government-to-government relations, parliamentary exchanges and economic engagement. He also highlighted the recent growth in bilateral trade.
“I’m pleased to note that our trade turnover has increased this year. While it declined slightly last year, it’s growing this year,” Putin said, attributing much of the momentum to Prime Minister Modi’s personal attention to the development of India-Russia relations.
Putin also asked Jaishankar to convey his best wishes to Prime Minister Modi and expressed hope of meeting him soon at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. He indicated that the two leaders could potentially meet again later this year.
Before meeting Putin, Jaishankar co-chaired the 27th IRIGC-TEC session with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. The commission reviewed several key areas of bilateral economic and strategic cooperation.
Putin specifically referred to issues such as energy, fertiliser supplies, nuclear cooperation and high-technology sectors. He said Russia was working to increase fertiliser supplies to India and was prepared to expand such cooperation further, particularly keeping in mind the requirements of Indian agriculture and farmers.
The Russian President also pointed to nuclear energy and high-technology cooperation as important components of the bilateral agenda, saying progress was being made steadily across various sectors.
Jaishankar, in turn, said the intergovernmental commission had produced a positive assessment of India-Russia economic cooperation. He highlighted discussions covering trade and economic relations, nuclear energy, fertilisers and other areas.
“Indeed, we had a meeting of the intergovernmental commission this morning. I have a very good report to share with you, concerning our economic cooperation, nuclear energy, fertilizers, and so on,” Jaishankar said.
He emphasised that India and Russia share a “strong, robust bilateral partnership” and thanked Putin for receiving him.
The External Affairs Minister also conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s interest in meeting Putin at the upcoming SCO Summit. Jaishankar further expressed hope that Putin would have an opportunity to participate in the BRICS Summit in India.
The Moscow engagement comes amid sustained efforts by India and Russia to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, defence, nuclear power, technology, agriculture and other strategic areas. The latest high-level discussions are expected to provide further momentum to the partnership and reinforce regular political dialogue between the two countries.
The meeting between Jaishankar and Putin, coupled with the IRIGC-TEC session, underscored New Delhi’s focus on expanding the economic foundations of its relationship with Moscow while maintaining close consultations on major regional and global developments.
