Russian deputy PM Denis Manturov’s India trip to focus on oil, LPG and fertilisers

New Delhi: Amid expanding trade, investment and co-production partnerships across sectors and rising supplies of crude, LPG, and fertiliser from Moscow in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis, Russian deputy PM Denis Manturov is planning a visit to India next week to boost Economic Cooperation Programme (ECP).

Manturov will engage with external affairs minister S Jaishankar. The meeting, a follow-up to President Vladimir Putin's India visit in December for the 23rd annual summit, will also help prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow for this year's annual summit, it has been learnt.

ECP, which aims to achieve bilateral trade worth $100 billion in five years from nearly $70 billion (as of last year), was announced during the 23rd summit. On that occasion, the two sides signed several agreements covering mobility of the Indian workforce to Russia, fertilisers, food safety and shipping, while agreeing to work towards harnessing critical minerals to bolster economic partnership.