Russia to take 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday briefed a parliamentary consultative committee on India’s relations with Russia, outlining what he described as the countries’ "multifaceted" engagement in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people ties. He also updated members on India’s position on the Ukraine conflict and New Delhi’s recent diplomatic efforts to support a peaceful settlement.

At the meeting on India-Russia relations, Jaishankar said the two sides shared an ambition to expand bilateral trade and investment in a balanced way. He also informed the panel that Russia has agreed to take around 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, especially in construction and logistics, people familiar with the meeting said.

While discussing trade and investment ties, Jaishankar said the two countries were looking at greater Indian exports to Russia in seven areas -- auto, pharma, food, marine products, engineering goods, chemicals and textiles, the people said.

On energy ties, Jaishankar said New Delhi’s priority was to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers. "Our approach is to maintain multiple sources of supply," he said, according to the people cited above.

In a social media post, Jaishankar said he had highlighted various aspects of India’s engagement with Russia. He also said he mentioned India’s "active support to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict."

The people cited above said India’s recent efforts to help end the Ukraine conflict and restore peace came up in the discussions. Jaishankar also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 31 in Bishkek, where he noted that "endless war must now give way to end of war".

Jaishankar travelled to Ukraine last month and also met the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia in New York a few days ago on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In those conversations, he said that if India could help in any way to bring the war to an end, it was ready to do so, the people said.

In this context, the people said, Putin’s comments at the Valdai Club in Moscow that PM Modi "has very good ideas for finding mutually acceptable solutions" to bring peace were also discussed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s recent remarks appreciating India’s efforts were also noted at the meeting, they added.

Jaishankar also briefed panel members on the government’s efforts to secure the release of Indians serving in the Russian military. He said the government had taken up the matter with Russian authorities, including at the highest levels, to secure the early discharge of all such individuals.

According to the people cited above, Jaishankar told the members that around 140 Indian nationals had so far been discharged. He also said the Indian side was in touch with Russian authorities about the whereabouts of 55 Indian nationals who were reportedly working for the Russian Army. Overall, the meeting focused on expanding India-Russia ties while also reviewing India’s diplomatic outreach on the Ukraine conflict and the situation of Indians linked to the Russian military.