Doval, Russian FM discuss ways to combat terror

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov here and discussed a host of issues such as combating terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking.

Doval, who was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale during his visit here yesterday, also held talks with Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev besides calling on Lavrov, an Indian Embassy statement said.

The visit, which was part of the regular dialogue at the NSA-level between the two countries, comes ahead of summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in India later this year.

In his opening remarks during the meeting with Doval, Lavrov was quoted as saying by an official Russian statement, "We have a very full agenda in our bilateral relations. Economic ties are growing, and a mechanism is being developed to further liberalise trade both bilaterally and as part of India's cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union."