New Delhi, Oct 13: India and Russia today held the first meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on global challenges with specific focus on those existing in the neighbourhood of the two countries. The meeting attended from the Indian side by foreign secretary kanwal sibal and deputy foreign minister Byacheslab Trubnikov from the Russian side held parleys on a wide range of subjects, an external affairs ministry spokesman said.

The precursor to this JWG was the JWG on Afghanistan and it was decided to recast its format and "exchange views on global challenges as a whole with particular focus on those existing in common neighbourhood of the two countries," he said. The JWG on Afghanistan had met six times.
Sibal and Trubnikov underscored the importance of consultation and cooperation between the two largest pluralistic democracies--India in terms of population and Russia in terms of landmass.

The next meeting of the JWG on global challenges would be held in Moscow for which dates would be worked out in due course.
Bureau Report