Amid the new-found bonhomie between Russia and Pakistan, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale visited Moscow and reassured the Russian leadership of India’s commitment to consolidate bilateral ties in defence, security, nuclear energy and other key fields.

Doval, whose visit to Moscow came two days after Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia’s President for a fourth term, on Thursday held talks with Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and also called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The visit was part of the regular NSA-level dialogue between the two countries in keeping with the strategic partnership between them, official sources in New Delhi said. The focus during the talks was on bilateral agenda, including the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin.

Doval and Gokhale are also understood to have discussed with their Russian interlocutors the situation in Afghanistan in the context of the kidnapping of seven Indian engineers in the northern part of war-ravaged nation on Sunday.

The two sides are also said to have discussed how they could counter the challenge posed to their defence cooperation by impending US sanctions against several Russian entities involved in military supplies to India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

It is not known whether Russia’s increasing friendship with Pakistan figured during the talks though there is a sense of disquiet in Indian official circles on the issue ever since the two countries conducted joint military exercises in September 2016 days after Pakistan-based terrorists launched an audacious attack on an army camp in Uri. Russia and Pakistan also conducted their first foreign office consultations in December 2016, much to the discomfiture of New Delhi.

Indian officials believe Russia has been upset with India since it started diversifying its defence purchases rather than remaining dependent on Moscow.

However, sources made it clear that Russia was and would most likely remain the biggest arms supplier to India. They recalled that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had travelled to Russia last month and discussed a slew of defence deals, including the S-400 air-defence missile systems.

“The India-Russia partnership has become even more relevant today as the world is readjusting to the emergence of new powers. This partnership is multi-dimensional. It runs deep and is a fundamental pillar of India’s foreign policy,’’ said sources.