In a media briefing, the newly-appointed foreign secretary underlined the “context, clarity, importance and positive dimension” of India’s position on Ukraine and said there should be no doubt about it.
“Our position on Ukraine is clear. First, there must be an end to hostilities, second, a solution must be found through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said, adding that the idea was conveyed very clearly to various countries. Is.
India has backed calls for a ceasefire and diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine, while avoiding votes in the United Nations for draft resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion, which were eventually vetoed by Moscow. Was.
Amidst the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, PM Modi is starting his three-day tour of Germany, Denmark and France on his first foreign visit this year.
In the coming days, I will be visiting Germany, Denmark and France for important bilateral and multilateral partnerships… https://t.co/tCIqGBMRs1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1651393278000
In a statement ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister said he would visit Berlin on 2 May at the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after which he would travel to Copenhagen on 3-4 May at the invitation of his Danish counterpart Mette Fredriksen. To organize bilateral events and participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and several other senior Union ministers are expected to accompany PM Modi to Germany as the IGC format mandates direct talks between senior ministers from both sides on cooperation in specific areas.
On his way back to India, PM Modi said that he would stop briefly in Paris for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The prime minister said his Europe visit comes at a time when the region is facing many “challenges and options”.
The visit comes at a time when India seeks to balance its historical ties with Moscow and its relatively new axis towards closer ties with the US.
India has not yet publicly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been seeking a solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
It has also come under criticism from the US and Australia – its partners in the Quad Grouping, which includes Japan – for considering a Russian proposal to circumvent sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies.
While the main focus of PM Modi’s visit starting from Berlin on May 2 will be on regional and regional issues, strengthening bilateral partnership.
Global importance will also be discussed, Kwatra said.
(with inputs from agencies)