Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After the US, particularly its media, welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advice to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine—that “today’s era is not of war”—the United Kingdom said on Wednesday the Indian leader has a “powerful, influential voice on the world stage.”
London hopes Putin listens to voices who are calling for peace amid the Ukraine conflict, said British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in New York, adding “We know the Russian leadership respects India’s voice and position on the global arena.
Cleverly was responding to a question about the Russian-Ukraine conflict and Modi telling Putin last week on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand that “today’s era is not of war”.
“I think Prime Minister Modi’s intervention is very welcome. And we really hope that Vladimir Putin listens to those voices who are calling for peace and for de-escalation. So, we very much welcome Prime Minister Modi’s intervention,” Cleverly said.
“Obviously, we have seen the terrible loss of life in the Ukrainian conflict, both loss of life of Ukrainians and of young Russian men and women, which is terrible,” Cleverly said on the margins of the ongoing high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.
He underlined the challenges that pre-existed, regarding food security and people at risk of food insecurity and famine, have been amplified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We’ve always been very clear that our sanctions do not target food, fertilizers, and ammonia exports. But, people in the world who are already hungry, their situation has been made worse by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. And that’s why Prime Minister Modi’s intervention is important and very welcome,” he said.
“Obviously, India is an incredibly important and influential country on the world stage. With so much turbulence going on in the world, our close partnership and working relationship with India is incredibly important.”
As world leaders gather at the UN headquarters for the high-level week amid turbulent global times and humanitarian and geo-political crises, Cleverly said the UN is still relevant.
“The world is changing in many areas and changing quickly. And it’s important that international institutions adapt and evolve to meet those changing challenges and circumstances. And multilateral fora like the UN will always be an important part of our relationship.”
Bilateral relationships are also very crucial. Meeting counterparts collectively at the UNGA provides a “fantastic opportunity” to have really key bilateral meetings, he said.
Cleverly also met his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on the UNGA margins late Wednesday evening.
Earlier in the day, he said he was looking forward to meeting Dr. Jaishankar, who “knows us well. He’s worked with my predecessors. And I’m very much looking forward to discussing both global issues, regional issues, and also our bilateral relationship.”