Russian Foreign Minister to visit India

Moscow, Nov 13 (UNI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay a two-day official visit to India on November 16-17.

The official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mr Mikhail Kamynin, told Itar-Tass news agency that during his visit, Mr Lavrov would discuss a broad range of bilateral relations, regional and international issues with his Indian counterpart.

Kamynin said relations between Russia and India "are built on strategic partnership principles and characterised by the coincidence of stances on important international problems." "It can be stated with satisfaction that diverse cooperation between Russia and India and mutual desire to assist its promotion in all possible way, first of all in priority spheres, is dynamically developing," he added.

"Our joint efforts are aimed at ensuring stability at the global and regional levels, counteracting terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking threat," he noted.

Stressing that the two sides exchange top-level visit every year, he said that "Intensive bilateral contacts are maintained at various levels, their real content and efficiency is increased and contacts between regions are actively widening." UNI XC DKA VV2308