India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar opened a three-day visit to Moscow, co-chairing the 26th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation alongside First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and later holding talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Jaishankar said bilateral goods trade has climbed more than five-fold to about $68 billion since 2021 and set a goal of reaching $100 billion by 2030. Both sides agreed to remove non-tariff barriers and Russia offered to absorb Indian exports that may be redirected by newly imposed U.S. tariffs, underscoring the countries’ intent to shield commerce from mounting geopolitical frictions. Energy dominated the agenda. Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petroleum Corp. have booked fresh cargoes of discounted Urals crude for September and October, reversing a brief pause prompted by Washington’s criticism of the trade. Manturov said Moscow sees “potential” to ship liquefied natural gas to India and to broaden nuclear-power cooperation, while Lavrov flagged joint extraction projects in Russia’s Far East and Arctic as well as continued crude supplies. Lavrov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin plans to visit India before the end of the year, with officials preparing a “substantial” package of agreements. The ministers also reviewed global hotspots, including Ukraine and the Middle East, and reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remain central to their shared approach.