Dhaka, Dec 05 (V7N) – Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India and the 23rd India-Russia bilateral summit will open a new chapter in strengthening relations between the two nations.

In an interview with the media on Thursday, Shringla noted that discussions during the visit will extend beyond energy and defense sectors to include multiple new and traditional areas of cooperation.

He said, “Putin is visiting after almost four years with a high-level delegation of seven ministers, including the Finance Minister, Defense Minister, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Russia. The main focus will be on economic cooperation. We hope Russia will pay attention to Indian exports, especially in areas where our activities were previously limited.”

Shringla highlighted that new areas of collaboration could include agricultural and marine products, engineering materials, IT services, rare-earth minerals, space technology transfers, and the potential establishment of a urea plant in Russia.

He added that these economic cooperation initiatives present a positive opportunity for both countries.

It is worth noting that President Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening, marking his first visit to India since the Ukraine conflict. His last visit to India was in December 2021.

END/SMA/AJ