The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) on Thursday confirmed that India and Russia are set to host a summit in Delhi, with dates to be mutually determined.
“India-Russia Summit is vital. The final India-Russia summit was held in Moscow. It’s time for us to host the summit in Delhi and the dates might be labored out between each side, conserving in thoughts what’s mutually handy for each international locations,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated throughout the weekly media briefing.
The 2 nations get pleasure from a particular and privileged strategic partnership, with cooperation in protection, power, and financial sectors being key areas of focus. The twenty second India-Russia Annual Summit was held in Moscow throughout July 2024.
President Vladimir Putin had conferred Russia’s highest civilian honour, the “Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle,” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi throughout the summit.
Jaiswal talked about that the RIC format is a mechanism for discussing world and regional problems with curiosity to the three international locations. The subsequent assembly might be held at a mutually handy time.
Jaiswal stated, “This consultative format is a mechanism the place the three international locations talk about world points and regional problems with curiosity to them. As to when this specific RIC format assembly is to be held, it’s one thing that might be labored out among the many three international locations in a mutually handy method and we’ll let you understand as and when it occurs at an applicable time when the assembly is to happen.”
Responding to a question on 16 Indian nationals lacking in Russia, Jaiswal stated, “We’re in common contact with Russian authorities, each right here in New Delhi and Moscow.”
The difficulty, which had first come to gentle a couple of months in the past, was raised once more on the weekly MEA briefing on Thursday amid continued considerations about Indians allegedly recruited into the Russian Military and despatched to the frontlines within the Ukraine battle.
The Ministry additionally mourned the demise of Binil Babu, an Indian nationwide killed whereas serving within the Russian Military within the ongoing warfare towards Ukraine, and stated India is in contact with Russian authorities to make sure the return of his mortal stays.
He additionally knowledgeable that one other Indian nationwide has sustained accidents throughout the battle and is getting therapy. He’s anticipated to come back again to India quickly.
“The demise of Binil Babu is extraordinarily unlucky. We now have conveyed our condolences to the household. Our embassy is in contact with the Russian authorities in order that his mortal stays might come again to India as quickly as doable.
One other one that was injured is receiving therapy in Moscow…Hopefully, he may even be returning to India quickly after his therapy is accomplished,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Friday.
MEA additionally confirmed that as many as 12 Indian nationals have been killed whereas serving for the Russian Military within the Ukraine battle, whereas 16 extra are lacking.
There have been a complete of 126 circumstances of Indian nationals serving within the Russian Military, and India is searching for an “early launch” of those that are nonetheless there, the spokesperson stated.
“As of at the moment, there have been 126 circumstances (of Indian nationals serving within the Russian Military). Of those 126 circumstances, 96 individuals have returned to India and have been discharged from the Russian Armed Forces. 18 Indian nationals within the Russian Military stay and out of them, the whereabouts of 16 people usually are not identified.
The Russian aspect has categorised them as lacking,” Jaiswal stated.
He added, “We’re searching for early launch and repatriation of those that stay…12 Indian nationals have died who have been serving within the Russian Military.”
Notably, a number of Indian nationals have been allegedly duped into preventing in Russia’s warfare with Ukraine on the pretext of profitable jobs.
Final 12 months, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a serious human trafficking community operating throughout the nation, concentrating on Indian nationals on the promise of providing profitable jobs overseas, however allegedly sending them to the Russia-Ukraine warfare zone.
