National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval was among top security officials of around 40 countries to attend a two-day peace summit on Ukraine conflict hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Jeddah.
Doval said India is an active and willing partner to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as per principles of the UN charter, adding that the country is regularly engaged with both Russia and Ukraine at the top most level, ever since the war broke out, as per reports.
“Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by all states must be upheld without exception,” he said on Saturday.
Pointing out that the Global South is bearing the brunt of the war, the NSA said India is providing humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Doval said resolution of the situation and softening the consequences of the conflict are the two challenges that should be addressed in the Jeddah summit. “Efforts must be directed on both fronts simultaneously and much more groundwork is needed to ensure this,” he said.
Doval highlighted the importance of finding a solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders. His remarks comes in the backdrop of Russia not being invited to the conference. He said India believes in promoting dialogue and diplomacy, which is the only way to reach a peaceful resolution.
In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, where he conveyed to that latter that India will do whatever possible to find a solution to the conflict. On his part, Zelenskyy briefed the Indian side in detail on his peace formula, urging the country to provide support in this regard.
In September 2022, Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a bilateral meeting in the Uzbek city of Samarkand. Urging Putin to end the conflict, the PM said, "Today's era is not of war.”
-- with inputs from agencies