NEW DELHI, October 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia supports involving India in the work of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations, its foreign minister said Monday.
"India is a new center of powerful economic growth and political influence. We believe India's participation in international organizations like the Group of Eight is natural," Sergei Lavrov told journalists in New Delhi after a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.
The Russian foreign minister said they had discussed President Dmitry Medvedev's upcoming visit to India, scheduled for early December.
"This will be a very important event in our relations, both from the viewpoint of implementing previous summits and from the viewpoint of defining the strategic directions of the deepening of our relations," Lavrov said.
Medvedev's visit will be his first since he was elected Russian president.
