Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday described India as a “global power” and welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to move from an “endless war” towards an “end to the war” in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
Sybiha made the remarks after meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Kyiv during the latter’s visit to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Jaishankar’s visit was taking place amid what he described as escalating Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, port infrastructure and civil shipping.
He also appreciated the External Affairs Minister’s visit to Kyiv, describing it as the first dedicated bilateral visit to Ukraine by an Indian External Affairs Minister.
“India is a global power and we welcome Prime Minister Modi’s call to move from an endless war towards an end to the war. Ukraine stands ready for diplomacy,” Sybiha said in a post on X.
Black Sea navigation, food security discussed
Sybiha said the two ministers discussed the need to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and address concerns related to global food security.
He said Ukraine was prepared to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Russia, which began in February 2022.
The discussions come as India has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward for resolving the conflict.
Prime Minister Modi had made his latest appeal during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.
“Every day spent in war pushes humanity backwards, while every step taken towards peace fills humanity with a new hope and enthusiasm,” PM Modi had said, stressing the need to move from an endless war towards an end to the war.
Focus on expanding bilateral cooperation
Sybiha said the talks with Jaishankar also covered ways to expand India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation.
Areas discussed included infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, technological innovation and digitalisation.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said both sides had agreed to work towards convening the next meeting of the India-Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission.
He said the meeting would help translate the potential for cooperation into mutually beneficial projects.
Jaishankar is visiting Ukraine and Poland from September 3 to 5. The visit comes amid India’s continued engagement with both sides of the Ukraine conflict and its emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the route towards lasting peace.
-ANI
