The Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov affirmed that India has ‘self-respect’ in dealing with the world with respect to trade relations and ensuring its energy security. While speaking to the press, after addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister of Russia also appreciated the independent, bold and firm stance ascertained by India in the tariff tussle with the Trump administration.
When questioned about the India-Russia trade relations, Sergey Lavrov asserted that he will not comment anything on the trade ties between New Delhi and Moscow, especially with respect to energy ties, as India is capable of taking independent decisions based its energy interests and priorities. He also hailed the foreign policy decisions undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in fulfilling the national interests.
Sergey Lavrov further reiterated that the economic partnership between India and Russia is not under threat as an impact of any geopolitical upheavals or economic sanctions. As India on many occasions has clearly expressed that the nation “chooses its own partners”, it will take an independent and sovereign decision. “I’m not even asking what is going to happen to our trade relations, our oil. I don’t ask our Indian colleagues this. They are perfectly capable of making these decisions for themselves”, Lavrov said.
#WATCH | On India buying Russian oil and India-Russia relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says, "…We have full respect for the national interests of India, full respect for the foreign policy that Narendra Modi is carrying out to promote these national interests.… pic.twitter.com/P33TKaFqyx
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2025
Russian Foreign Minister also hailed the long-time strategic partnership existing between India and Russia. Both nations lately, have accelerated the relations to “particularly privileged strategic partnership”. In this backdrop, India’s relations with any other country, cannot be a criterion or a determining factor for the relations between India and the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov further added.
“These situations that might arise between India and the United States and any other country, I can’t consider them a criterion for relations between India and the Russian Federation. We have a strategic partnership, as we call it, for a long time, strategic partnership relations”, said Sergey Lavrov while speaking at the Press conference in New York. He also said that bilateral agenda between New Delhi and Moscow is very extensive encompassing trade, military, technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian matters, healthcare, high-tech, artificial intelligence and at multilateral forums such as SCO, BRICS.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also confirmed the visit of Putin to India in the month of December. He also said that as a lead up to the Summit, EAM Jaishankar will visit Moscow and Sergey Lavrov will visit India in the coming months.
