New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): India and Russia on Wednesday held the seventh round of talks under the India-Russia Special Mechanism on Pakistan and Afghanistan in New Delhi, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation under their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.Ministry of External Affairs in a press release said that the talks were co-chaired by India’s Deputy National Security Adviser Pavan Kapoor and Russia’s Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Venediktov.According to the press release, the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on issues of common interest, including their implications for international security.“Both sides held wide-ranging discussions on issues of common interest, including their impact on international security. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their ongoing cooperation under the aegis of ‘India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’,” the press release stated.During his visit to New Delhi, Venediktov also called on National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, the Ministry said.The latest round of talks comes amid continued engagement between New Delhi and Moscow on regional security and broader strategic issues.Earlier on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described India as a “natural option” for Russia as Moscow increasingly turns towards Asia amid strained relations with Europe.Speaking in a conversation with John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Jaishankar said Russia’s relationship with Europe had deteriorated following the Russia-Ukraine war, prompting Moscow to strengthen its engagement with Asian countries.He emphasised that India-Russia relations had remained steady over the past 75-80 years and that maintaining these ties served the interests of both countries.“We are a natural option in that regard because we’ve had very decent relations with Russia from pretty much the early start,” Jaishankar said, adding that India wanted Russia to maintain meaningful relationships across Asia.The External Affairs Minister also highlighted the strategic significance of the partnership, stating that it had contributed to the balance of power and the overall status quo in Asia. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)