New Delhi [India], October 15 : Russian Lieutenant General Igor Anatolyevich Seritsky, Acting Commander of the Moscow Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, interacted with Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Sapta Shakti Command, to deepen bilateral defence cooperation, the Indian Army said.
In a post on X, the Indian Army on Wednesday said the interaction focused on strengthening military ties, enhancing professional exchanges and exploring avenues for greater collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
“Strengthening India-Russia #DefenceCooperation Lieutenant General Igor Anatolyevich Seritsky, Acting Commander of the Moscow Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, interacted with Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, #SaptaShaktiCommand,” the Army said.
The interaction further reinforced the longstanding India-Russia defence partnership, it added.
The military engagement comes amid continued high-level interactions between New Delhi and Moscow on defence cooperation and regional security issues.
Earlier on Wednesday, India and Russia held the seventh round of talks under the India-Russia Special Mechanism on Pakistan and Afghanistan in New Delhi, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation under their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the talks were co-chaired by India's Deputy National Security Adviser Pavan Kapoor and Russia's Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Venediktov.
“Both sides held wide-ranging discussions on issues of common interest, including their impact on international security. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their ongoing cooperation under the aegis of ‘India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’,” the MEA said in a press release.
During his visit to New Delhi, Venediktov also called on National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described India as a “natural option” for Russia as Moscow seeks to strengthen its engagement with Asian countries amid strained relations with Europe following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Jaishankar highlighted the longstanding nature of India-Russia relations and said maintaining these ties served the interests of both countries. He also emphasised the strategic significance of the partnership in contributing to the balance of power and the overall status quo in Asia.