Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India is ready to play any role as a friend to help bring peace. During an interaction with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Modi reiterated that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Modi said he had come to Ukraine with a message of peace. He added that “we support the respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“India has not been an indifferent bystander during the war. Going ahead, we will always stand with you on humanitarian assistance...We were never neutral during the war...We were on the side of peace from the beginning of the war,” said Modi.
Modi assured that India is ready to make proactive contributions towards peace efforts.
India and Ukraine held bilateral talks on wide-ranging topics on Friday. Both nations inked four agreements following the Modi-Zelenskyy talks.
Officials said the agreements would provide cooperation in areas of agriculture, the food industry, medicine, culture, and humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that Modi's visit to Ukraine was 'very friendly' and 'historic'. Zelenskyy said he planned to discuss a summit on peace in
Ukraine, along with Modi, also called for strengthened trade and military cooperation with India.
It is the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister after Ukraine became independent in 1991. Modi’s visit comes amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive in Russia's western Kursk region.
Key takeaways from the India-Ukraine joint statement
1. Both leaders expressed mutual interest in working towards elevating bilateral relations from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership in the future.
2. PM Modi and President Zelenskyy reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.
3. The Ukrainian side welcomed India's participation in a peaceful resolution and highlighted the importance of high-level Indian participation in the next Peace Summit.
4. The Leaders discussed the enhancement of cooperation in areas such as trade and commerce, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, education, defence and culture.
5. The Leaders emphasised the importance of enhancing the ease of doing business for mutual economic activities and investments, apart from removing any impediments to greater trade and commerce between India and Ukraine. The sides also encouraged great engagement at official and business levels to explore joint projects, collaborations and ventures.
6. Both sides agreed to explore the possibility of involvement of Indian companies in Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery, in a suitable manner.
7. The Indian side looked forward to Ukraine's joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
8. Underling the importance of defence cooperation between India and Ukraine, the leaders agreed to continue to work towards facilitating relations between the defence entities in both countries, including through joint collaborations and partnerships for manufacturing in India and cooperation in emerging areas.
9. Both sides agreed to hold 2nd meeting of the Indian-Ukrainian Joint Working Group on Military-Technical Cooperation, established under the 2012 Defence Cooperation Agreement, in the near future in India.
10. The Leaders appreciated the contribution of the Indian diaspora in Ukraine to the development of friendly relations and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.