EAM Jaishankar likely to visit Russia on Nov 8

External affairs minister S Jaishankar is expected to make a brief visit to Russia on November 8 for a meeting with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov amid growing global concerns about an escalation in the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a news briefing on Thursday informed that Lavrov will hold talks with Jaishankar next month and discuss the current state of bilateral relations and the international agenda.

There was no official word from the Indian side regarding the visit, but sources said that Jaishankar’s trip is expected to be brief and include meetings with Lavrov and other key Russian officials.

The development comes at a time when speculation has grown about the two countries not holding their annual summit this year. There has been no word from both side about the summit, which was to be hosted by Russia in 2022.

Meanwhile, it is also worth mentioning that President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Uzbekistan in mid-September, and are also expected to meet again on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November, provided the Russian leader decides to attend the meeting of the world’s 20 largest economies.