Manila, July 22 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Manila on Wednesday and reiterated India's strong concern about the safety of Indian seafarers in the region.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed various aspects of bilateral ties, the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation.

"An in-depth review of our bilateral relations with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region. Discussed various aspects of our partnership, including trade & investment, energy and connectivity, science & technology, and mobility. Also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

EAM Jaishankar raised concern about the safety of Indian seafarers after an attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo on July 19, which claimed the lives of four Indians. Following the incident, India had summoned the Russian Charge d'Affaires, Vladimir Ladanov, to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to condemn the attack on MV Golden Leo.

"The Russian Charge d’Affaires was requested to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided," it added.

According to the MEA, on the evening of July 19, the vessel MV Golden Leo was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals.

A Russian missile struck the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Golden Leo, killing 10 people, Kyiv Post reported.

Earlier in May, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, discussing the various regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine and West Asia.

During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's consistent stance of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) detailed.

Lavrov had briefed PM Modi on the progress achieved in bilateral cooperation since the meeting of the two leaders in December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

"Prime Minister requested Foreign Minister Lavrov to convey his warm greetings to President Putin," the PMO stated.

Sergei Lavrov was on an official visit to India to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi.

During his visit, Lavrov also held a meeting with EAM Jaishankar, with both ministers discussing several aspects of bilateral ties as well as global and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, EAM Jaishankar in a post on X wrote, "This evening, had a productive exchange of views with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia here in Delhi. Our conversation touched upon several aspects of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, including trade and investment, energy and connectivity, science and technology, as well as facilitating mobility of skills and talent."

"Other global and multilateral issues of mutual interest were also discussed," he added.

--IANS

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