00:00All right, viewers, there's a news break coming in right on top.
00:03The External Affairs Minister, S.J. Shankar, who's on a three-day visit to Russia,
00:08met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this evening.
00:12Now, clearly, if you juxtapose it, these are, of course, the first pictures that are coming in from Moscow
00:17of the External Affairs Minister meeting the Russian President.
00:21Our External Affairs Minister is on a three-day visit to Moscow.
00:26This is a high-stake meeting, viewers, kid you not.
00:29It comes against the backdrop of steep U.S. tariffs of 50% on Indian goods
00:35in a move that the Trump administration said was prompted by India's purchase of Russian oil.
00:42Look at these pictures to give you context of it.
00:46This meeting is very, very important.
00:48It also comes in the backdrop of Russian President Putin meeting the President of the United States of America.
00:57All right, I want to cut across to my colleague, Pranay, who's going to try and make more sense of the visuals
01:04that you see on your television screen.
01:06Pranay, it's a high-stakes meeting, whichever way you look at it.
01:10It comes in the backdrop of raised tariffs on India, primarily because India is buying Russian oil.
01:15What can we expect?
01:16What is it that we want?
01:18What are we looking at?
01:20Indeed, Pranay, these are very strong visuals and a very strong message to those who are trying to, you know,
01:26bully and arm-twist India on strategic autonomy.
01:31Definitely, it's a strong message to prove that India want to exercise a strategic autonomy
01:36and nobody can ask India whether to purchase some product, some commodity or not,
01:40whether to exercise its decisions regarding the energy security or food security
01:45or any other matter of national security.
01:48Clearly, the India's external affairs minister, Dr. S. Jai Shankar, is in Moscow
01:52and he had a call-on meeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
01:56But this meeting is also significant because recently President Vladimir Putin spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
02:02before going to Alaska summit and after returning from the Alaska summit,
02:07he shared with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that whatever has transpired in his meeting
02:11with U.S. President Donald Trump at a time when President Donald Trump and his administration
02:16is putting onus on India for fueling the Russian economy with the purchase of Russian oil
02:22and also, you know, also asking India not to go for the military, further military, you know, purchases from Russia.
02:30Clearly, India's NSA, Dr. Ajit Doval, recently visited, you know, Moscow
02:36for the preparatory round of meetings with the Russian side,
02:40ahead of President Putin's visit and also from Excellency Affairs Minister.
02:43What would be the best takeaway that India comes back with?
02:48What's the best case scenario?
02:49What reassurances are we looking at from Russia?
02:53At a time when Dr. Jai Shankar is in Moscow, clear messages have come from Moscow,
02:58both in New Delhi, the Russian envoy Babushkin has said that Russia is willing to open its economy
03:04and we are open to accommodate the Indian products in Russian market.
03:08Also, Dr. Jai Shankar also urged the Russian businessman while addressing a business council meeting
03:13that now Russia and India should try and realize the target of $100 billion trade by 2030
03:20and for that the Russian businessman, Russian corporates should try and forge more stronger partnership with India.
03:28Also, the clear message or the agenda of talks between Dr. Jai Shankar and Sergey Lavrov
03:35was to, in the banking sector, the finance sector and also the energy security sector
03:40and insulate the bilateral trade from the unilateral sanction system
03:44which is being imposed by certain countries.
03:46Though both the countries did not name anyone in their statement,
03:50but definitely the message was for the United States.
03:53We are losing your connection, but thank you there for joining us with that quick update.
03:56All eyes will be on the three-day visit of the External Affairs Minister.
04:01What can be the biggest takeaway?
04:03Because all of this comes in the aftermath of India being imposed sanctions
04:07which could go up to 50% tariffs, but you can call them sanctions,
04:12which could go up to 50% all because India continues to buy Russian oil.
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