New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) - Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla convened a meeting with Vladimir Yakushev, the visiting Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, along with members of the Russian Parliamentary delegation at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Thursday. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation across various sectors, including trade, technology, and cultural connections, while emphasizing the importance of strengthening parliamentary ties.

During the session, Birla conveyed his hope for advancing parliamentary collaboration between India and Russia and enhancing the people-to-people connections. He highlighted that both nations maintain a deep-rooted and time-tested strategic partnership, founded on trust and mutual respect.

Present at the meeting were Periasamy Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and several other officials.

“I am pleased to meet H.E. Vladimir Yakushev, First Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, alongside the Russian Parliamentary delegation at the Parliament House. We exchanged insights on collaboration in fields such as trade, technology, and cultural ties, and focused on bolstering parliamentary relations,” Birla stated on X.

“India and Russia share a profoundly established and enduring strategic partnership, which is anchored in trust and mutual respect. Our inter-parliamentary engagement is vital for fostering mutual understanding and reinforcing democratic institutions. I expressed optimism about furthering our parliamentary collaboration and enhancing people-to-people connections,” he continued.

Yakushev is visiting India from April 2-4. His agenda includes meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Indian parliamentarians. Discussions will also cover matters related to Russian-Indian inter-parliamentary ties, as well as trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation.

In a related development, Denis Manturov, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister, arrived in New Delhi early Thursday for high-level discussions encompassing defense, energy, trade, and various other bilateral matters.

“A warm welcome to Mr. Denis Manturov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation and co-Chair of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation, in New Delhi. He will engage in consultations with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and participate in other bilateral meetings,” the MEA disclosed.

Officials suggest that the visit will significantly concentrate on fortifying bilateral relations, particularly in the domains of security and defense cooperation. Developments related to the ongoing West Asia conflict are also likely to be a major topic of discussion during these meetings.