[Ms Truss, who has spoken of a "network of liberty", will tell her Indian opposite number it's vital that democracies work together to deter aggressors. (Photo by= PA Media)]

Foreign secretary Liz Truss and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are both visiting India in competing for efforts to strengthen ties. Ms Truss will urge Delhi to work with other democracies to counter Russia's invasion of Ukraine, by reducing its dependence on Moscow, BBC reported.
 
During her trip, the UK foreign secretary will also confirm £70m of UK investment in the development of renewable energy in India, one of the world's biggest users of hydrocarbons. She will announce a joint cyber-security program aimed at protecting online infrastructure in both countries from attacks. Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck an agreement with India's PM Narendra Modi to strengthen ties over the coming decade.
 
The Russian foreign minister will call on India to bypass Western sanctions, and buy more Russian oil and gas. India hasn’t condemned the invasion and did not vote against it at the UN. Ms Truss, who has spoken of a "network of liberty", will tell her Indian opposite number it's vital that democracies work together to deter aggressors. In a statement, she said the war in Ukraine had underlined the need to boost security in the Indo-Pacific region and globally, and for closer cooperation in areas like defence, trade, and cyber-security.