India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, is in Moscow this week for high-level talks with senior Russian officials. The discussions are expected to focus on Afghanistan and Russia’s recent recognition of the Taliban government.
According to reports from The Hindu and Hindustan Times, Doval is likely to raise concerns over Moscow’s decision last month to formally recognise the Taliban administration, the first country to do so. The Indian government has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
Doval’s visit, which Russian state news agency TASS confirmed began on Tuesday, comes amid a period of deepening ties between Russia and the Taliban, as well as increasing engagement between India and the group in recent months.
Indian media also report that Doval will discuss a broad range of strategic and economic issues with Russian officials. These include continued oil purchases from Russia, rising regional tensions, and ongoing defence and security cooperation.
The visit is also expected to include talks on a potential visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly later this year.
Although Doval’s visit was reportedly scheduled in advance, it coincides with heightened diplomatic tensions between India and the United States. On Wednesday, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, bringing the total US tariff rate on Indian imports to 50 percent.
The move is widely viewed as retaliation for India’s continued imports of Russian oil, despite Western pressure to scale back economic ties with Moscow.
