Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to have a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday, according to an announcement by the Kremlin. The President plans to receive Mr. Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the reporters after Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov earlier in the day. The top Indian diplomat had a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, where Moscow's willingness to support India's initiative to produce military products under its flagship 'Made in India' program was expressed.

India-Russia cooperation was discussed in the meeting, with the expansion of cooperation between the countries, including the launch of the North-South International Transport Corridor and the Chennai- Vladivostok route being highlighted as steps to strengthen the relationship. Lavrov and Jaishankar also agreed to expand the legal framework of India-Russia relations, with a focus on accelerating efforts for the adoption of the agreement on mutual protection of investment. Lavrov expressed that the agreements between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have laid the foundation for a reliable relationship between the two nations.

During the meeting, Jaishankar stated that negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union will resume in January next year. The visit is crucial as it comes nearly three months before the country is scheduled to hold Presidential elections in Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ahead of his visit said, "The time-tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterized by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."

The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. With various agreements signed and fruitful discussions held, the meeting between Jaishankar and Putin is expected to further strengthen the relationship between the two nations.