New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held a meeting with visiting Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vladimir Yakushev and members of the Russian Parliamentary delegation at Parliament House in New Delhi on Thursday, discussing cooperation in sectors like trade, technology, cultural linkages and strengthening parliamentary ties.

During the meeting, Birla expressed optimism towards further advancing parliamentary engagement between India and Russia and strengthening people-to-people connect. He noted that both countries share a “deep-rooted and time-tested strategic partnership” built on trust and mutual respect.

Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Periasamy Kumaran and other officials were present during the meeting.

“Pleased to meet H.E. Vladimir Yakushev, First Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation along with members of the Russian Parliamentary delegation at the Parliament House. We exchanged views on cooperation in areas such as trade, technology and cultural linkages along with strengthening parliamentary ties,” Birla wrote on X.

“India and Russia share a deep-rooted and time-tested strategic partnership, built on trust and mutual respect. Inter-parliamentary engagement continues to serve as an important pillar of cooperation, fostering mutual understanding and stronger democratic institutions. Expressed optimism towards further advancing parliamentary engagement and strengthening people-to-people connect,” he added.

Yakushev is on an official visit to India from April 2-4. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Indian parliamentarians. Both sides will also discuss issues related to Russian-Indian inter-parliamentary, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian cooperation during his visit.

Meanwhile, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov also arrived in New Delhi early Thursday for high-level discussions covering defence, energy, trade and a range of other bilateral issues.

“A warm welcome to Mr Denis Manturov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation and co- Chair of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, to New Delhi. During the visit, he will hold consultations with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and engage in other bilateral meetings,” the MEA stated.

According to officials, the visit is expected to focus significantly on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of security and defence cooperation. Developments related to the ongoing West Asia conflict are also likely to feature prominently in the discussions.

–IANS

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