Lavrov’s Address in New Delhi: Russia-India Trade Target Set at 100 Billion Dollars, Two Foreign Ministers Meet Ahead of BRICS Meeting

New Delhi – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in his opening remarks during talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, praised the growing economic cooperation and shared diplomatic commitment between the two countries. The talks, held in New Delhi on May 13, took place on the eve of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

“Our Leaders meet every year. The latest Summit took place here, in New Delhi, in December 2025. It was marked by the signing of a number of important agreements, including the Programme for the Development of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030,” Lavrov said.

Noting that trade between the two countries currently stands at nearly 60 billion US dollars, Lavrov expressed confidence that the target set by the leaders to bring this figure to 100 billion dollars by 2030 would be achieved. He recalled that the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation is actively functioning, co-chaired by Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

Lavrov stated that Russia supports the priorities and agenda of India’s chairmanship in the context of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held on May 14 and 15. He noted that in addition to BRICS, the two countries also work together at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the G20. “Our interaction is becoming increasingly important in light of the need to find global responses to global challenges,” Lavrov said. He concluded his address by expressing gratitude to the Indian friends, as always, for their hospitality.