Kyiv – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday that his country is ready to make proactive contributions to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia.
This came in the speech delivered by Modi, during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at the Historical Museum in the capital, Kiev.
“I am personally ready to play any role as a friend to contribute to peace,” Modi said.
He noted that war is particularly devastating for young children.
According to Modi, India played two roles in the Russian-Ukrainian war: providing humanitarian aid and “staying out of war.”
“We stayed away from war with full faith, but that does not mean we were indifferent observers,” Modi said. “We were not neutral, we were for peace from day one.”
“When I met (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in Samarkand two years ago, I looked him in the eyes in front of the press and told him that this is not a period of war,” he added.
Modi added: “When I visited Russia again last month, and met President Putin, I told him clearly that problems cannot be solved on the battlefield.”
He continued: “The only way to solve problems is through dialogue and diplomacy, and we must move in this direction without wasting a single minute. The two sides must sit together and look for ways out of this crisis.”
“India is ready to contribute proactively (to peace), and if there is a role that I can personally play as a friend, I would love to play that role to ensure peace,” Modi told Zelensky.
“I have come on the eve of your country’s independence. Therefore, we all want to ensure that peace is established at the earliest. India will be ready to contribute proactively towards this goal,” he added.
Modi pointed out that his visit to Ukraine is a historic day in Ukrainian-Indian relations, saying: “For the first time today, the Prime Minister of India is visiting Ukraine. This is a historic event.”
“Tomorrow (Saturday) is your national day (Ukrainian Independence Day). It is very important, on behalf of myself and 1.4 billion Indian people I convey my best wishes to Ukraine and wish it peace and prosperity,” he added.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine and India have signed four agreements covering cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, humanitarian aid and culture.
Zelensky pointed out that a joint declaration between the two countries was being prepared on strategic partnership and developing cooperation in the field of trade and military technologies.
He expressed hope that India would participate in the declaration of the Ukrainian peace summit held in Switzerland in June, and confirmed that he would discuss the issue with Modi.
Zelensky also thanked Modi for his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to the Anadolu Agency correspondent, Modi and Zelensky visited the “Children’s” monument, which was erected in memory of the children who lost their lives in the war with Russia, and placed toys on the monument and stood for a minute of silence.
“Together with Indian Prime Minister Modi, we observed a minute of silence for the children who lost their lives due to Russian aggression. Children in every country deserve to be safe. We must make this happen,” Zelensky said in a post on his social media accounts.
According to Ukrainian authorities, 570 Ukrainian children have lost their lives since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been launching a military attack on its neighbor Ukraine, and its end is conditional on Kiev abandoning its membership in Western military entities, which Kiev considers “interference in its affairs.”
Anatolia
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2024-08-24 17:38:08