India intensified its diplomatic and trade outreach on Monday, holding high-level engagements with Russia, China, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Japan as New Delhi pushed to strengthen strategic partnerships and expand its global trade footprint.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the two sides discussed bilateral relations and key global developments. The meeting underscored continued efforts to deepen the longstanding strategic partnership between India and Russia.
At the same time, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the India-China boundary issue. The discussions are aimed at maintaining peace and stability along the border while also addressing wider bilateral, regional and international concerns.
On the trade front, India reviewed progress on a proposed free trade agreement with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, held discussions with GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh as both sides explored ways to advance the negotiations.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also sought greater Japanese investment in India during engagements in Tokyo. He said India was negotiating trade agreements with eight to nine additional groups of countries and individual nations, with the aim of expanding India’s free trade coverage to around 75 per cent of global trade.
According to Goyal, the countries and blocs currently involved in these negotiations together represent an economy worth around USD 15 trillion.
The simultaneous engagements reflected India’s broader strategy of strengthening ties across major geopolitical and economic centres. With parallel discussions underway with Russia, China, Gulf nations and Japan, New Delhi is seeking to balance strategic interests with a wider push for trade, investment and economic partnerships.
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