On his first visit to Ukraine since the European nation’s independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. He said that four documents covering a wide variety of topics had been signed by India and Ukraine.
“Following the visit, we also agreed on a joint statement focusing on the development of a strategic partnership, bilateral trade, and continued military-technical cooperation,” said the Ukrainian President, whose country is at war with Russia.
According to PM Modi’s office, both leaders reaffirmed their willingness to work together to maintain UN Charter ideals, including as respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as continued cooperation in implementing international law. The joint statement stated, “They agreed on the necessity of closer bilateral dialogue in this regard.”
On the first visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister since the former Russian state gained independence in 1991, PM Modi arrived in Kyiv this morning on a special train.
PM Modi stated that India is always prepared to play a “active role” in any attempt to restore peace in Ukraine during their meeting with Mr. Zelensky, which took place in the shadow of the fighting. He even expressed his desire to personally contribute to the conflict’s end.
“We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war,” PM Modi said in his opening remarks during the talks. “We have come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi who had given a message of peace to the entire world,” he said.
Many view PM Modi’s travel to Kyiv as a diplomatic balancing move because his visit to Russia caused pain for certain Western nations. According to S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, PM Modi reaffirmed the need for “practical engagement” between all parties in order to create a novel solution that will foster widespread acceptance and advance peace and stability.
In order to better reflect modern global circumstances and improve the UN Security Council’s representation, efficacy, and efficiency in addressing matters of international peace and security, both sides demanded a thorough overhaul. Ukraine reaffirmed its support for India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council, which has been enlarged and restructured.
It was decided by both parties to request that the Indian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) look into every avenue to develop and grow bilateral economic and trade ties beyond their pre-conflict levels.
Because of the difficulties associated with the ongoing conflict, there has been a notable decline in the yearly bilateral trade in products since 2022.
Additionally, PM Modi informed Mr. Zelensky of his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month and Samarkand in September 2022. “Some time back, when I met President Putin in Samarkand, I had told him that this was not the era of war. Last month when I went to Russia, I said in clear words that a solution to any problem is never found on the battlefield,” PM Modi said.
