NEW DELHI, March 3: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New Delhi Thursday in a two-day official visit as India comes under increasing pressure to take a tough stand on Russia. Lavrov, the first high level Russian official to visit India after Moscow waged its war against Ukraine, is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday to discuss the matter and several other bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern. Lavrov's visit assumes importance as it comes amid increasing pressure on India from its allies to take a tough stand on Russia for its war on Ukraine.

Several high level visits to India including those by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh are taking place on this backdrop. So far, New Delhi has not condemned Moscow's war openly and abstained from voting against it in several UN bodies and international organisations, to the dismay of Western powers bend on isolating Russia. The India-Russia talks are coming ahead of India and US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue scheduled to take place in Washington on April 11 between Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with their US counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.(KUNA)