Ajit Doval Meets Russian Security Chief Sergey Shoigu on Strategic Ties

Moscow, Aug 7 (PTI) National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu on Thursday. Shoigu remarked that the relationship between the two nations is built on "strong, time-tested ties of friendship." Doval arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for important discussions on bilateral energy and defense ties as well as to pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to India later this year.

Shoigu emphasized the importance of deciding the timing for new, comprehensive talks between President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with Doval.

"Currently, we have a multi-level, trust-based political dialogue effectively operating between our countries. It's grounded in the regular interactions between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi. It is crucial to determine the dates for the next full-scale discussions between our leaders," he said, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

Shoigu affirmed that Russia and India have "strong, time-tested ties of friendship." He highlighted that for Moscow, it is vital to further strengthen the special privileged strategic partnership with India, which is rooted in "mutual respect, trust, equal consideration of each other's interests, and the will to advance a unifying agenda."

"We are committed to continued active cooperation to shape a new, more just and sustainable world order, uphold the rule of international law, and jointly tackle modern challenges and threats," he added.

Doval expressed optimism that the Summit meeting would open new avenues for the development of bilateral relations and result in a “tangible and substantial" outcome from the discussions, as reported by TASS.