New Delhi: Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of establishment of strategic partnership between India and Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16 suggested that 2020 should be the ‘year of implementation of decisions’ arrived between the two countries in 2019.

This was decided when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Modi. The Prime Minister noted that several important decisions and outcomes were reached between the two countries in 2019.

Lavrov briefed the Prime Minister on Russia’s position on key international and regional issues. There was also a detailed exchange of views on key regional and international issues including the situation relating to Iran, Syria and Libya when Lavrov met his Indian counterpart.

Lavrov discussed with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on priorities for Russia as current Chair of BRICS and SCO whose summit meetings would be held in Russia in July this year. External Affairs Minister accepted Foreign Minister Lavrov’s invitation to participate in the next RIC meeting to be hosted by Russia.

The Prime Minister referred to the wide-ranging conversation he had with President Putin over telephone on January 13 and noted the progress in the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the previous year.

Lavrov conveyed that President Putin looked forward to the visit of the Prime Minister to Russia in May 2020 to participate in the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Victory Day, and in July 2020 for the BRICS and SCO Summits.

The Prime Minister welcomed multiple occasions this year to meet President Putin, and said that he also looked forward to hosting President Putin in India for the Annual Bilateral Summit later this year.