Russia will increase the use of non-Western currencies for trade with countries such as India, its foreign minister said today, while welcoming India as a friendly country that does not have a “unilateral view” of the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov’s mission to boost support from a country that Moscow has long considered an ally comes a day after talks between senior US and British officials in New Delhi aimed at persuading the Indian government to avoid undermining sanctions. imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.
India and China are the only major countries that have not condemned Russia’s actions. Following Lavrov’s visit to China this week, Beijing said it was “more determined” to develop bilateral relations with Russia.
“We are friends,” Lavrov told a news conference after meeting with his Indian counterpart Subrahmaniam Jaisankar, adding that India views the crisis in Ukraine on the basis of “all the facts and not one-sidedly.”
Lavrov said that Russia’s central bank had set up a financial disclosure system several years ago and that India had a similar system.
“It is absolutely clear that more and more transactions will be made through this system that uses national currencies, bypassing the dollar, the euro and other currencies,” he said.
Russia is India’s largest supplier of defense equipment, and Lavrov said the two countries would use a rupee-ruble mechanism to trade oil, military equipment and other products.
“We will be ready to provide whatever products India wants to buy,” Lavrov said. “I have no doubt that a way will be found to bypass the artificial obstacles created by illegal unilateral sanctions from the West. “This is also related to the field of military technical cooperation.”
Lavrov said there was some progress in negotiations with Ukraine.
“Nuclear-free, non-coalition, neutral regime – this is now recognized as absolutely necessary,” he said.
Lavrov is expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before leaving tonight.
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