Both sides are making arrangement for high-level talks in Moscow, Russian foreign minister said

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed that he will visit Moscow later this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

Modi and Lavrov met a day earlier and discussed a broad bilateral agenda. Russia's top diplomat is on a twoday visit to New Delhi to attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed that this year it is his turn to pay a visit to the Russian Federation. We will be preparing for this meeting," Lavrov said. He also noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit New Delhi for the BRICS leaders' summit later this year.

During his bilateral interactions in New Delhi, the Russian foreign minister discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in trade, economy and investment "in such a way that we don't depend on the negative, unfriendly pressure from third party countries," Lavrov stated.

"We agreed to strengthen transport cooperation, including the development of the international north south transport corridor and the northern sea route and we also talked about the steps that are being taken to improve the system of direct mutual settlements and the increased supply of Russian energy and fertilizers," he noted.

Nuclear energy, including plans to build new nuclear power reactors in India in addition to the ongoing Kudankulam project, cooperation in defense manufacturing and space exploration also figured in the talks.

To a question about whether Moscow is supplying more oil to India amid the disruptions, Lavrov said, "It is not secret data. The info shows that oil supplies to India have increased. It doesn't depend on us, but our partners in India."

Though the US had put pressure on New Delhi to stop Russian oil purchases, imposing even a 25% punitive tariff in August 2025, India has maintained that its energy procurement is based on national interests. The tariff was later withdrawn.

The pressure exerted on India by Western nations over its purchases of Russian oil is "neocolonial," Lavrov said in an exclusive interview with RT India earlier this week.

(RT.com)