Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: India believes the way to peace in Ukraine is through dialogue and diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the ongoing G-7 Summit in Italy on Friday, the media reported.
During a bilateral meeting with President Zelenskyy, he assured India’s continued support for a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, as he reiterated New Delhi’s belief in a human-centric approach.
“Had a very productive meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine. Regarding the ongoing hostilities, reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy,” said PM Modi after the meeting.
“The two leaders reviewed the bilateral relationship and exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. PM Modi conveyed that India continues to encourage a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” said a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson in a post on X. The two leaders were seen sharing a warm hug.
President Zelenskyy provided more details on their discussion: “I met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a working visit to Italy for the G-7 Summit. We discussed the development of bilateral relations and trade expansion, in particular in the context of the functioning of the Black Sea export corridor. We explored the possibility of exchanging experience in the use of new technologies in agriculture.”
“We also talked about preparations for the Global Peace Summit and the issues on the Summit’s agenda. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending a high-level delegation to the Summit,” he added.
Before meeting the Ukrainian President, PM Modi held bilateral discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The discussions with President Macron included a range of issues aimed at strengthening the partnership between India and France. PM Modi also conveyed best wishes to Macron for the upcoming Olympics 2024 in Paris in July-August and discussed semiconductors and trade with British PM Sunak.
PM Modi is in Italy’s Apulia to participate in the G-7 Summit. After landing, he expressed his eagerness to engage in productive discussions with world leaders. The G-7 countries include the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Britain. The leaders of the European Council and the European Commission are also participating.
Ahead of the Summit, Zelenskyy emphasized that much of the G-7 Summit would be dedicated to Ukraine, focusing on its defense and economic resilience. “Today is the G-7 Summit in Italy, a meeting of our closest partners. Much of it will be dedicated to Ukraine, our defense, and economic resilience. And we look forward to important decisions today,” the Ukrainian President said in a post on X.
India will also participate in the upcoming peace summit on the Ukraine conflict in Switzerland at an “appropriate level,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Wednesday. The summit is scheduled to take place at Bürgenstock in Lucerne on June 15 and 16. Switzerland has invited PM Modi to attend the event. MEA’s Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor is likely to represent India at the peace summit.
India is participating in the G-7 summit as an outreach country. The Summit’s host and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has invited PM Modi for the three-day event which started on Thursday. India’s participation marks its 11th and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive appearance at the G-7 Summit.