India is yet to officially announce the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi though sources indicated that it is being scheduled ahead of Mr Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow. File.
| Photo Credit: AP
Against the backdrop of growing uncertainty in trade ties with the United States, India is on track to intensify engagements with Russia and China in the coming days. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Russia on August 21 to hold discussions with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, while officials here are preparing to host Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi before that, sources here have confirmed.
“The Ministers will discuss key issues on our bilateral agenda, as well as key aspects of cooperation within international framework,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry, announcing Mr. Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow. Mr. Jaishankar’s visit is part of the preparatory consultation for the next Russia-India annual summit for which President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India later this year.
The meeting between Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Lavrov comes days after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Russia, where he met his counterpart Sergey Shoigu and had a special audience with President Putin. Soon thereafter, Mr. Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation on Friday that Mr. Modi described as “detailed”.
Border discussions
India is yet to officially announce the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister though sources indicated that it is being scheduled ahead of Mr. Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow. Sources said the visit is understandably aimed at continuing high-level discussions on the India-China border issue, and Mr. Wang will meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and others during his visit.
The India-China interaction will be keenly watched as it is being planned three months after Operation Sindoor when India fought a brief war with Pakistan. Lt. General Rahul R. Singh, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, said in July that China provided “live inputs” to Pakistan during the conflict.
It is understood that Mr. Wang’s interactions in Delhi will also be part of the preparatory meetings before Mr. Modi’s expected visit to Tianjin, China, for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). However, India will remain cautious while warming up ties with Beijing because of China’s strong relationship with Pakistan, sources have hinted.
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Amid their interactions with India, Russia and China are also carrying out consultations with other global and regional stakeholders. Russian official news agency, TASS, has reported that before reaching New Delhi, Mr. Lavrov will travel to Alaska with Mr. Putin for the August 15 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that India has welcomed.
In a statement, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, described the summit that comes after more than three years of Russia-Ukraine conflict, as a move that holds the “promise” of ending the conflict. On August 11, Mr. Modi held a telephone conversation with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and emphasised the need for a “peaceful settlement” of the conflict.
In the backdrop of Mr. Trump’s imposition of high tariffs on India for purchase of Russian oil, India has carried out a number of consultations with partners and stakeholders. Mr. Modi has spoken on phone with Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva. On August 12, Mr. Modi also spoke with President Savkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan when the two leaders discussed connectivity and transit projects, including the International North-South Corridor that aims to ease overland transport to Russia.
Published – August 13, 2025 09:57 pm IST