Pranab holds talks with Russian foreign minister

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Russian counterpart Servey Lavrov held wide-ranging discussions on international issues with special emphasis on progress made in the strategic partnership between the two countries and the forthcoming annual summit.

Details of Monday's meeting were not available, but officials said Lavrov will soon visit New Delhi for discussions on detailed and substantive agenda that will provide a fresh impetus to bilateral relations.

Mukherjee had a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from several countries now in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session.

He also held discussions with Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe on ways to expand economic ties and intensifying cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector beyond the buyer-seller relationship.

The external affairs minister also held parleys with his Trinidad and Tobago counterparts. He also met with Salaheddin Al-Bashir of Jordan.

Besides, Mukherjee participated in three Ministerial meetings -- the India-Brazil-South Africa initiative, the India-Gulf Cooperation Council, and of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

The informal meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers reviewed the progress in implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the 14th and 15th SAARC summits held in New Delhi and Colombo.

Besides Mukherjee, other participants ministers from Sri Lanka Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. Afghanistan and Maldives were represented by the senior officials.