Foreign secretary V K Gokhale discuss India's membership for NSG with Russia

Indian foreign secretary V K Gokhale who is on a two-day visit to Russia on Monday met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and discussed a range of issues including India's membership for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which Moscow backs.

A release by Russian govt said, both sides "discussed cooperation within BRICS format, the current issues of the key multilateral export control regimes, including New Delhi application for NSG membership, other non-proliferation and arms control issues, as well as topical international issues of mutual interest."

Russian President Putin and PM Modi have spoken two times this year. 

First on January 1 on the occasion of New Year and 2nd on February 27 to in which President Putin expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack.

The Russian president has invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in the eastern Russian city Vladivostok later this year. 

The second informal summit between both countries is expected to happen this year in India. The first happened last year in Sochi, Russia.

Moscow has been a long-standing ally of New Delhi and has backed India in international forums such as the United Nations for the listing of Chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Masood Azhar. 

The country also is an important supplier of India when it comes to defence. Both sides concluded S400 deal last year during the annual bilateral summit.