NEW DELHI: India`s considerable increase in trade with Russia should not be seen as a `temporary phenomenon`, given more economic opportunities are emerging, India`s foreign minister stated on Friday.

India and Russia have a close relationship which dates back decades and NewDelhirecently`refused to condemn Moscow over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine`, instead `urging the two sides to end the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy`.

New Delhi emerged as one of the topmost buyers of Russian sea-borne oil after Western nations imposed sanctions and halted pur-chases, in response to the war (which Russia calls a `special military operation`).

`For long, we have lool(ed at Russia from a political or security perspective` Foreign Minister, S. Jaishankar said at an industry conference.

`As the country turns eastwards, fresh economic opportunities are presenting themselves, the spike in our trade and new areas of cooperation should not be regarded as a temporary phenomenon.` Trade between India and Russia stood at $65.7 billion in the year ending March 2024, a 33 per-cent increase from the previous year.-AFP