TASS, April 6. Moscow expects to hold a summit of the Russian and Indian leaders this year if the epidemiological situation allows, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Indian newspaper Hindustan Times.
"We hope that the epidemiological situation would allow us to organize a bilateral summit in 2021," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, Moscow is satisfied with the vigorous political dialogue with India on all levels that "keeps on actively developing despite serious restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic."
"In 2020 we managed to successfully organize several events in face-to-face and online formats. Summits of the SCO and BRICS - a new type of multilateral associations where our countries cooperate fruitfully - are among them," he noted.
According to the foreign minister, the dates of next sessions of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation and Inter-Parliamentary Commission are under consideration.
"Given the need to overcome negative consequences of the pandemic for the world and national economies, our definite priorities include intensification of the Russian-Indian practical cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, agriculture, transport, finance and banking, science and technology, humanitarian ties," Lavrov said.
"I am convinced that the negotiations with my colleague Dr Subramaniam Jaishankar during my visit to New Delhi will promote further strengthening of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership that unites us," Lavrov stressed.
Border standoff of India and China
Russia also hopes that India and China will find mutually acceptable political and diplomatic ways to settle the border standoff near the Ladakh union territory.
"We expect both states as responsible members of the international community to find mutually acceptable political and diplomatic ways to remove existing differences at the earliest," Lavrov said.
According to the foreign minister, Moscow is closely watching the process of normalization at the Line of Actual Control, functioning as the India-China border. Lavrov noted that Russia welcomed the agreements reached after the telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of India and China on February 25, 2021, aimed at ironing out the situation.
"We highly appreciate the constructive approach demonstrated by both sides. We pay due respect to the intensions of New Delhi and Beijing to act independently and within the frameworks of established multilayer bilateral dialogue mechanisms, without interference from outside," Lavrov stated.
The situation on the Indian-Chinese border near the union territory of Ladakh escalated after the clashes between 250 Chinese and Indian troops in early May 2020. Early on June 16, new skirmishes occurred between Indian and Chinese servicemen near the Galwan river, resulting in deaths. After that India and China held a series of talks at the military and diplomatic levels. On February 10, 2021 the sides started mutually withdrawing troops from Pangong Lake.