Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has assured India that Moscow will continue fulfilling all energy supply agreements despite growing global pressure and external competition.
Speaking ahead of his visit to India, Lavrov stated that Russia remains committed to protecting India’s interests in the energy sector and ensuring uninterrupted supplies of oil, gas, coal, and nuclear energy cooperation.
“I can guarantee that India’s interests regarding Russian energy supplies will not suffer. We will do everything possible to ensure that unfair competition does not impact our agreements,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today-India.
Lavrov highlighted that Russia has consistently honoured its commitments to India and other international partners in the energy sector. He described the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant as a flagship symbol of India-Russia cooperation.
The nuclear power project, located in Tamil Nadu and developed with Russian technical support, currently contributes significantly to India’s power generation. Construction of the plant began in 2002, and its first unit has been operating at full design capacity since 2016. The project is expected to achieve complete operational capacity by 2027.
Lavrov added that India’s growing energy requirements make bilateral cooperation increasingly important. Alongside nuclear energy, Russia continues to supply hydrocarbons including crude oil, natural gas, and coal to India.
The Russian minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as one of the most energetic global leaders focused on strengthening India’s sovereignty across economic, defence, cultural, and technological sectors.
Emphasising the long-standing friendship between the two nations, Lavrov said the relationship between India and Russia remains “rock solid” and impossible to separate.
“There is no scenario where our paths diverge. The foundation of India-Russia relations is friendship,” he remarked.
Lavrov also referred to the historic cultural connection between the two countries, mentioning the popularity of Indian cinema and actor Raj Kapoor in Russia.
He noted that cooperation between the two nations extends across multiple sectors, including defence, nuclear energy, trade, space technology, and cultural exchange. According to him, attempts by external powers to weaken India-Russia ties have repeatedly failed.
During his India visit, Lavrov is expected to hold discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and participate in the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting.
The discussions are expected to focus on bilateral trade, sustainable transport and financial systems, energy cooperation, science and space technology partnerships, as well as regional and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
