Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed readiness to initiate the manufacturing of contemporary armaments as part of the 'Make in India' initiative. This statement came during his address at a press conference following discussions with the Indian Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, who is currently on a five-day visit to Russia. Lavrov highlighted their conversations centered around the prospects of military-technical collaboration, particularly emphasizing the joint production of advanced weaponry between Russia and India.
"Lavrov highlighted significant advancements in this regard", noting Russia's understanding and willingness to endorse New Delhi's initiative of manufacturing military goods within the Make in India program. He reiterated Russia's preparedness to collaborate on this front, emphasizing their support for such endeavors. Historically, Russia has been a primary supplier of defense equipment to India. However, with the intensification of India-US relations, New Delhi has diversified its military equipment imports to include various American defense items.
Additionally, Lavrov mentioned the imminent implementation of the North-South transport corridor project, asserting that it will soon come to fruition. This project was initially established through an intergovernmental agreement signed by Russia, India, and Iran in 2000 for the creation of the North-South multimodal transport corridor. Subsequently, the number of participating countries expanded to 14.