It is learnt that officials in Switzerland, India and Ukraine are working towards India’s participation at the summit this summer. China has also indicated that it is likely to attend the summit, sources said.
Speaking with Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s unwavering support for diplomatic and dialogue as the best course of action and pledged to keep using all available resources to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two countries.
Plans are on to arrange for Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba to visit New Delhi the following week, at a time when Kyiv is eager for India to attend the peace conference in Switzerland.
It has been discovered that representatives from India, Ukraine, and Switzerland are attempting to get India to attend the summit this summer. According to sources, China has also stated that it plans to attend the conference.
Zelenskyy highlighted that Kyiv wants Delhi to be involved when he wrote, “It will be important for us to see India attend the inaugural Peace Summit, which is currently being prepared in Switzerland,” in a post on X following his talk with Modi.
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi “congratulated him on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation and conveyed his best wishes for peace, progress, and prosperity of the friendly people of Russia” during the phone conversation.
“Throughout the lengthy phone conversation, Narendra Modi congratulated Vladimir Putin on his resounding victory in the Russian presidential election and offered his sincere wishes of prosperity and well-being to the Russian people,” according to a statement from the Kremlin.
“The discussion was cordial and pleasant. The Kremlin stated that Vladimir Putin wished Narendra Modi luck in the country’s parliamentary elections.
DISCUSSED India’s unified policy
THE TALKS TAKE PLACE AS Delhi prepares to host the foreign minister of Kyiv. The phone conversations highlight India’s steadfast stance in favour of diplomacy and discussions as a means of ending the Ukrainian crisis.
“Spoke with President Putin and congratulated him on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation,” stated Modi in a post on X. In the upcoming years, we intend to collaborate to further strengthen and broaden the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
According to the MEA, the PM “reiterated India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward” while talking about the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. The two leaders decided to stay in communication.
They discussed a range of global topics, “particularly regarding the situation around Ukraine,” according to the Kremlin. It stated that they reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating the operations of their nations under multilateral frameworks, such as the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Modi reported that he had “a good conversation” about bolstering the India-Ukraine partnership with Zelenskyy, the head of the Ukrainian government. “Expressed India’s unwavering support for all initiatives aimed at putting the continuing conflict to a swift end. India would keep delivering humanitarian relief under the direction of our people-centric strategy, the speaker declared.
To “express gratitude for India’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, humanitarian aid, and active participation in Peace Formula meetings,” Zelenskyy claimed to have spoken with Modi. India’s attendance at the first Peace Summit, which is presently being planned in Switzerland, will be significant to us.
He made reference to Kuleba’s planned visit the following week when he added, “We discussed the development of our bilateral relations, which should include a meeting of our teams and a session of the intergovernmental commission on cooperation in New Delhi in the nearest future.”
Ukraine is eager to deepen its commercial and economic connections with India, especially in the areas of agricultural exports, aviation collaboration,and the trade of industrial, medicinal, and other products,” the president of Ukraine declared, adding that his country “wants to welcome Indian students back to Ukrainian educational institutions.”
According to the MEA, “The PM reaffirmed India’s people-centric approach and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward while discussing the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” He emphasized that India backs any initiatives aimed at a speedy and amicable settlement of all disputes between the parties. He went on to say that India would keep using all of its resources to help find a peaceful settlement. President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to India for its ongoing humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people.
It stated that the two leaders talked about how to improve the collaboration between India and Ukraine in a number of areas. It stated that the two leaders had decided to stay in contact.
This will be Kuleba’s first visit since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.
Modi had already spoken with Putin and Zelenskyy; after Russia invaded Ukraine, he has at least five phone conversations with the Russian president and at least four with the president of Ukraine. In person, he has also had meetings with both leaders during global summits.
Zelenskyy has previously asked India to back his 10-point “peace formula,” which asks for the evacuation of Russian forces from Ukraine, the release of prisoners, the reestablishment of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,and guarantees on nuclear safety, food and energy security.
Since February 2022, New Delhi has sent 99.3 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its neighbours in at least 12 consignments. These consist of tarps, blankets, tents, medications, and medical supplies.
India has made an effort to keep Russia and Ukraine in a diplomatic balance. India has expressed alarm about Russian leaders’ nuclear threats and asked for an international investigation into the Bucha atrocity, even though it hasn’t publicly denounced the Russian invasion. India has adopted a cautious stance at the UN Security Council, declining to vote against Russia in a number of resolutions. “This is not the era of war,” Modi had warned Putin in September 2022; this statement was echoed in the G20 summit statement in Bali in November 2022.
BY- HHM