India Opens Two New Consulates in Russia to Strengthen Bilateral Trade and Diplomatic Relations

Putin is expected to visit India in December for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

Moscow:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday emphasized that the opening of the two new Indian Consulates General in Russia would deepen bilateral engagement and mark a new phase in the relationship between the two countries.

During the inauguration ceremony of Consulates General of India in Yekaterinburg and Kazan in Russia, EAM stated, "This is an important day for us, when we are adding two more consulates, consulate generals in this country. And I want to say that over the last few months, consistent work has been underway to establish these consulates, as you heard from the Ambassador at the earliest possible time."

The ceremony was attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, representatives from the governor's offices in Kazan and Yekaterinburg, officials of the Russian government, and numerous members of the Indian community.

Jaishankar expressed gratitude to Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko and the regional governments of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Sverdlovsk Oblast region for their support in establishing these new consulates.

Speaking about Yekaterinburg's significance, the External Affairs Minister noted that the region is commonly referred to as Russia's third capital due to its industrial importance. He highlighted that the region serves as a gateway to Siberia and is a center for heavy engineering, gem cutting, defense manufacturing, metallurgy, nuclear fuel, chemicals, and medical equipment.

"The region hosts one of the most prominent international economic forums in Russia, the INNOPROM. The opening of the consulate will give impetus to enable and to strengthen the technological, scientific, economic and trade collaboration between Indian and Russian industries," Jaishankar emphasized.

"Kazan is one of the most visited cities in Russia. I have had the pleasure of going there myself, after Moscow and St. Petersburg, and with good reason, the region is a multicultural and multi-ethnic hub and acts as a bridge between Russia and the rest of Asia. The consulate will help strengthen people-to-people ties by encouraging cross-cultural exchanges and ITEC participation. Kazan is well known for its oil production and refining for fertilisers, automobiles, defence, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and electrical equipment," he added.

The External Affairs Minister expressed confidence that the Indian population, business community, and particularly young students would benefit from the consular services and diplomatic presence of India in these two regions.

"I'm very sure that the opening of these consulates will not only enhance our diplomatic presence in Russia, but will act as a catalyst to further boost trade, to increase tourism, economic, scientific, technology, and even academic and cultural ties between our two countries," Jaishankar concluded.