External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday briefed a parliamentary consultative committee on India's "multifaceted" engagement with Russia, highlighting shared ambitions to expand bilateral trade, investment, and energy cooperation.
Chairing the meeting on India-Russia relations, Jaishankar also apprised members of New Delhi's stance on the Ukraine conflict and its recent diplomatic efforts to contribute toward a peaceful settlement.
Our approach is to maintain multiple sources of supply, he said, according to the people cited above.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he highlighted various aspects of our multifaceted engagement including in trade, investments, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people domains.
The minister further informed the panel that Russia has agreed to take around 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, especially in the fields of construction and logistics, people familiar with the meeting said.
While discussing the trade and investment ties between the two countries, Jaishankar mentioned that there is a shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced manner, including through greater Indian exports to Russia in seven areas -- auto, pharma, food, marine products, engineering goods, chemicals and textiles, they said.
The external affairs minister, while highlighting India-Russia energy ties, said New Delhi's priority is to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers, they said. The minister said he also made a mention of India's "active support to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict."
The people cited above said India's recent efforts to contribute towards ending the Ukraine conflict and return of peace figured in the discussions.
Jaishankar also apprised the panel members about the government's efforts to secure the release of the Indians serving in Russia's military.
He said that the government has engaged with Russian authorities, including at the highest levels, for early discharge of all such individuals, the people said.
Jaishankar told the members that so far around 140 Indian nationals have been discharged and the Indian side is in touch with Russian authorities for the whereabouts of 55 Indian nationals who are reportedly working for the the Russian Army, they said.
Jaishankar also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting on August 31 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek where he noted that "endless war must now give way to end of war".
Jaishankar travelled to Ukraine last month and also met with foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia in New York few days ago on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
In his conversations, he noted that if India can be of any help in any manner to bring the war to an end, it was ready to do so.
In this context, Putin's comments at Valdai Club in Moscow that PM Modi "has very good ideas for finding mutually acceptable solutions" to bring peace came up, they said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's recent remarks appreciating India's efforts were also noted at the parliamentary consultative committee meeting, they added.
(With inputs from PTI)