NEW DELHI, July 16. /TASS/. The establishment of two new Indian consulates in Russia during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow indicates New Delhi's growing interest in this country, Rajoli Siddharth Jayaprakash, a researcher at the Observer Research Foundation, said.
"Establishing two new consulates in Yekaterinburg and Kazan further indicates India’s increasing interest in Russia. It also reflects the increasing presence of an Indian diaspora across Russia," the expert wrote in his article published on the foundation’s website.
The political scientist recalled that the presence of Indian business in Russia has expanded significantly in recent years.
"Even though the energy trade dominates the trade basket, the Indian pharmaceutical sector in Russia has emerged as a top medicine supplier in Russia, replacing Germany. Several Indian pharma giants such as Dr Reddy’s laboratories, Sun Pharma, and Cipla have partnered with local Russian firms and begun producing generic medicines," the expert noted.
He is confident that Modi’s visit to Moscow "reflects India's underlying multipolar vision in its outreach to the rest of the world, as the Prime Minister visited Russia first upon re-election."
"This visit further clarifies the misperceptions of a decline in India-Russia relations in light of Modi not visiting Russia in 2022 or 2023 and shows that the cooperation between the two countries is stable and is not influenced by the geopolitical configuration of the World order," the expert stressed.
The Indian Prime Minister paid a visit to Moscow on July 8-9, during which the 22nd Russian-Indian summit took place. The parties signed joint documents, discussed joint projects and confirmed the privileged strategic partnership of the two countries. Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the VDNKh exhibition center and held official talks in the Kremlin. The Indian Prime Minister was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.
Speaking during a visit to Moscow at a meeting with the Indian diaspora, Modi announced the opening of two new consulates of the republic in Russia (in Kazan and Yekaterinburg). According to the Prime Minister, this will facilitate travel and business cooperation between the two countries.