Moscow [Russia], December 21 : Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West), Tanmaya Lal, co-chaired the 13th India-Russia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) cooperation, and the 6th round of India-Russia consultations on United Nations-related issues during his visit to Moscow from December 19 to 20, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on Saturday.
He co-chaired both meetings with Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in the presence of other representatives from respective departments and agencies from both sides.
During the 13th Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, both sides shared their experiences in countering terrorism, including cross-border terrorism and extremism, and agreed to enhance cooperation to address problems of radicalisation as well as terror financing, the MEA said in a statement.
Both sides discussed current terrorist threats at the global and regional levels and the combating of the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral platforms.
During the 6th round of India-Russia consultations on UN-related issues, both sides exchanged views on regional and global developments and issues pertaining to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including its reform, the statement added.
"During this meeting, Russia reiterated its support for India as a permanent member of a reformed UN Security Council," the MEA stated.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India next year. He has received an invitation to visit India from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the dates for his visit will be set in early 2025, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on December 2.
Notably, this will be Putin's first visit to India since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. India has always advocated "peace and diplomacy" for resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
PM Modi's official visit to Russia in July marked his first bilateral visit after resuming office for the third time. Following this, he also visited Kazan, Russia for the BRICS Summit in October.