New Delhi, Dec 2 (UNI) Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Russia is looking forward to President Putin’s state visit to India (Dec 4-5), describing India as a “great friend” and its people as “great friends of Russia.”
Peskov emphasised that Moscow remains “very sensitive” to any external interference in the bilateral relationship between India and Russia, underscoring that the partnership is independent, time-tested and guided solely by mutual interests.
“Our partnership is not just documents, it has a deep historic background and mutual understanding,” an official said, adding India and Russia have stood “shoulder to shoulder” during key moments in history.
When asked about the US tariffs on India, he said, “Russia is sensitive to any interference by third countries” and that the issue will come up in discussion with India during Putin’s visit.
On trade imbalance between India and Russia, he said, “We are selling much more than buying from India. Importers from both sides will meet soon to work out something that can pave the way for increasing imports from India such as services investments and trade.”
Addressing questions on energy and payments, Peskov stressed that Russia has developed significant resilience in navigating sanctions-related restrictions.
Peskov said the issue of selling Su-57 5th generation fighter jet to India will certainly be on the agenda during Putin’s visit.
Russia has long been one of India’s most reliable partners, with bilateral ties forming a core pillar of India’s foreign policy. Since the ‘Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership’ signed during President Putin’s 2000 visit, relations have expanded across political, defence, economic, scientific, cultural, and people-to-people domains. The partnership was further elevated to a ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ during Putin’s 2010 visit.
