New Delhi: Russia on Thursday offered to supply more oil and natural gas to India as Russian first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar and explored ways to advance cooperation in critical areas such as energy and fertilisers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting of the Commission at the Central Election Committee in Moscow, Wednesday, April 1. (AP)
Modi said on social media that he and Manturov discussed “mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, fertilisers, connectivity and people-to-people ties”. Modi lauded the sustained efforts by both countries to implement the outcomes of the India-Russia Summit held during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi last December.
Jaishankar said after his meeting with Manturov that the two sides focused on bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, energy, fertilisers, connectivity and mobility. They also explored new opportunities in technology, innovation and critical minerals, he said in a social media post.
Manturov and Jaishankar also discussed regional and global developments, including the conflict in West Asia.
The Russian embassy said in a readout that Manturov “confirmed that Russian companies have the capacity to steadily increase supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas to the Indian market”.
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Manturov said Russia had “increased supplies of in-demand mineral fertilisers to India by 40%” by the end of 2025, and is ready to continue meeting India’s needs for this product. A joint project for carbamide production is also being developed by the two sides, the readout said.
India is currently grappling with disruptions in the supply of energy and fertilisers because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict triggered by Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran. The Russian readout said “particular attention was paid to cooperation in the oil and gas sector” during Manturov’s interactions with Indian leaders.
Russia has re-emerged as the largest supplier of energy following a recent US waiver on sanctions to allow India to continue buying Russian energy.
Manturov, who is the co-chairman of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Russian readout said expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment and industrial cooperation was a key topic on Manturov’s agenda. “Specific steps were discussed to create favorable conditions for increasing bilateral trade turnover in the present context,” the readout said.
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Russia and India are strengthening their partnership in nuclear energy and Manturov said Russia sees significant prospects for deepening engagement with India in this sphere. The project to build reactors for the Kudankulam nuclear power plant is being implemented in line with agreed schedules.
Manturov’s discussions also covered areas such as industrial cooperation, space and education.
Days before Manturov’s visit, foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko co-chaired the foreign office consultations in New Delhi and reviewed bilateral ties.
Manturov’s visit followed the Indian government’s decision to acquire five more S-400 air defence systems from Russia in the wake of the system’s performance during Operation Sindoor, the four-day conflict with Pakistan last year.
India concluded a $5-billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to buy five S-400 air defence systems despite a warning by the US that the contract could attract sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Russia has delivered three of these systems so far, though delivery of the two remaining batteries has been affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
