Russia and India have close approaches to methods of combating the novel coronavirus pandemic and have agreed to maintain close contacts on that matter, Indian Ambassador to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma told TASS on Saturday.
According to the Indian diplomat, the two countries are looking for possibilities for cooperation in the face of the common threat and are finding understanding at both the diplomatic and top political levels.
He recalled March’s telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they had agreed to stay in contact on the coronavirus-related problems.
“Both leaders briefed each other about the steps that both countries were taking. Both leaders said that they would be in touch and see if there are any areas that India and Russia could work together,” Ambassador Varma said. “Subsequently both leaders participated in the G20 videoconference. I can say that approaches of India and Russia there were similar.”
“There was a telephone conversation between [Russian] Deputy Foreign Minister [Igor] Morgulov and India’s Foreign Secretary Mr [Harsh Vardhan] Shringla,” he went on to say. “It was a very good conversation. Both sides said that they will keep each other informed of developments. India expressed its solidarity with measures that Russia was taking. Similarly Russia expressed support for the measures that India was taking.”
On March 25, or a day ahead of the emergency Group of Twenty summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders exchanged views on the situation around the coronavirus pandemic and thanked each other for the measures that were being taken to ensure health and safety of Russian nationals in India and Indian nationals in Russia. They also agreed to enhance coordination of efforts to combat the coronavirus threat.
