Jaishankar inaugurates Indian consulates in Russia’s Yekaterinburg and Kazan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday inaugurated two new Indian consulates in Russia, calling their opening a “catalyst" that will help push bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. India has now added Consulates General in Yekaterinburg and Kazan, expanding its diplomatic footprint beyond St Petersburg and Vladivostok, the two cities that previously hosted Indian consulates, according to the Indian Embassy’s website.

The minister said more than 30,000 Indian students currently study in Russia and noted that around 10,000 of them are located in regions that will now be covered by the new missions. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, India’s Ambassador Vinay Kumar, local officials from Kazan and Yekaterinburg, and members of the Indian community attended the opening ceremony.

“This is a very important day in the diplomatic history of India in the Russian Federation," Jaishankar said, recalling his earlier postings in Moscow. He added that “consistent work has been underway to establish these consulates," and stressed that India “recognises the support received from the Russian government."