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Delhi. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday termed India-Russia ties as a “deep trust-based and long-standing strategic partnership”, saying relations between the two countries are not limited to oil and defense cooperation. Lavrov, in a wide-ranging interview to RT India, traced bilateral ties back to India’s independence, saying decades-long Soviet Union-era cooperation laid the foundation for today’s “Special Strategic Partnership”. When asked if India-Russia relations are primarily based on energy and defense trade, he rejected the notion, saying, “It is not just limited to oil and gas, it is much broader than that.”

He noted the growing cooperation between the two countries in areas such as nuclear energy, industrial production, education and cultural exchange. Mr Lavrov said defense cooperation between the two countries has moved from a “buyer-seller” model to a joint production arrangement.

He mentioned projects like joint production of BrahMos missile, licensed manufacturing of T-90 tank in India and production of Kalashnikov assault rifle. He said these initiatives reflect the “high level of trust” between the two countries and confidentiality in defense cooperation is also at the lowest level.

Lavrov called Russia a “reliable energy supplier” to India and talked about continued cooperation in the oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy sectors. He also mentioned the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project. He also stressed on trade diversification and long-term economic planning and said that several agreements to India-Russia cooperation are being taken forward till 2030. The bulk of the interview focused on global geopolitics, sanctions, energy markets and Western influence.

Lavrov criticized Western sanctions imposed on Russian energy companies, saying that targeting companies such as Rosneft and Lukoil was aimed at excluding Russia from global markets and shifting energy dependence towards Western suppliers. They also expressed concern over increasing competition over global sea lanes and energy corridors, including the Strait of Hormuz. Describing multilateral forums like BRICS as important, he said that these are necessary to develop independent financial and trading systems. He said Russia supports India’s current chairmanship of BRICS and looks forward to progress on issues such as cross-border payment system, trade settlements in local currency and independent financial framework.

“India’s priorities include goals that reflect its national interests, ensure progress towards the objectives set by 2047 and maintain the principle of consensus in BRICS,” he said. Lavrov said that at the Kazan summit it was decided to make the payments, reinsurance and exchange mechanisms independent from Western sanctions and political pressure and India is actively working in this direction.

He said that India has presented a proactive agenda in all three major dimensions of BRICS namely trade, economic and financial cooperation, political and security issues and cultural and people-to-people contacts. Commenting on India’s “Develop India 2047” goal, Lavrov described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “energetic leader” and said Russia supports India’s long-term development ambitions. He highlighted energy security, industrial development and technology transfer as key areas of Russia’s potential contribution to India’s future.

On regional tensions, Lavrov said that Russia supports peaceful dialogue between India and Pakistan. He said that such disputes should ultimately be resolved at the bilateral level and without any outside interference. Mr Lavrov said India-Russia relations are not limited to government interests alone, but are also based on cultural and people-to-people ties. He said, “Hindi-Russi Bhai-Bhai is not just a slogan”, and that the partnership is “beyond unimaginable rupture” due to its historical depth and mutual trust.

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