S Jaishankar meets Russia's Sergey Lavrov at G20, discusses global issues

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the G20 Foreign Ministers' summit in Johannesburg.

Transcript

00:00India's external affairs minister, Dr. Jai Shankar meeting Russian finance minister at

00:06Russian foreign minister, I correct myself, at the G20 calling for peace.

00:10Jai Shankar discussing the Russia-Ukraine war with Lavrov, the external affairs minister

00:15has reiterated strong support for humanitarian assistance, emphasizing the importance of

00:19two-state solution to ensure long-term peace.

00:22Remember, Russia-Ukraine still at war.

00:25India has maintained an independent policy with both Russia and Ukraine.

00:28We share a cultural people-to-people's bridge with both Ukraine and Russia, even since it

00:33was part of the USSR.

00:35And importantly, remember, Russia has been one of the big trade partners, one of the

00:38biggest defense partners for India.

00:41So therefore, that relationship being maintained, saying, however, the importance of the two-state

00:46solution ensure long-term peace and humanitarian assistance.

00:49I want to immediately bring in Shivani Sharma, closely tracks the defense sector.

00:54Tell me this, Shivani, what does this mean when he says humanitarian assistance support

01:00and importance of two-state solution ensure long-term peace?

01:03Tell us more about this meeting.

01:05Pooja, Dr. Jai Shankar is in Johannesburg for this G20 foreign ministers meeting and

01:12he's been meeting his counterparts and very important out here is to mention he's been

01:15meeting the Russian foreign minister, the Chinese foreign minister, and he's been reiterating

01:20what is India's stand on three global issues.

01:23He has also welcomed the Middle East crisis where the Gaza ceasefire has happened and

01:29the hostage release has happened.

01:31And India has always been a peacemaker.

01:34That's what is being kept by Dr. Jai Shankar on this World Forum too.

01:38And he has kept his very clear stand that these countries, they must be the decision

01:43makers.

01:44They should not take a light interest in the issues of the area, the situation that's going

01:49around their region.

01:52But they should make peace.

01:54They should come up together for humanitarian assistance.

01:57That's what India has also been doing, be it the maritime security and the Indo-Pacific

02:02area or the Middle East crisis or the Ukraine conflict that goes on.

02:07So on all these things, Dr. Jai Shankar has reaffirmed India's consistent stance that

02:13we must dialogue, we must urge for dialogue and diplomacy, and we always must rise against

02:20terrorism and for humanitarian assistance.