External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday conveyed India's concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers in the Black Sea region to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, following the killing of four Indian crew members aboard a merchant vessel off the coast of Ukraine.
The two ministers met in Manila on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related meetings, where they also discussed trade, investment and energy security.
"An in-depth review of our bilateral relations with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia," Jaishankar wrote on social media.
"Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region. Discussed various aspects of our partnership, including trade and investment, energy and connectivity, science and technology, and mobility," he said.
The meeting came a day after India summoned the Russian Charge d'Affaires and conveyed its "grave concerns" and "unequivocal condemnation" over Sunday's Russian attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged merchant vessel MV Golden Leo, which killed 10 people, including four Indian crew members.
Vladimir Ladanov, the Russian Charge d'Affaires, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where he was told such attacks were "unacceptable" and must be avoided.
The incident marked the first reported deaths of Indian seafarers in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On Tuesday, the MEA expressed its "grave concerns" over the attack on MV Golden Leo and said such actions undermined the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.
"The Russian Charge d'Affaires was requested to convey India's strong concerns to his authorities that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided," the MEA said.
Jaishankar said the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.
India has consistently called for the conflict in Ukraine to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
(With inputs from PTI)
