Zelenskyy thanks India for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty

Kyiv: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today told Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about India’s willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace in Ukraine, which has been engaged in a war with Russia since February last year.

Modi stressed the need for sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to develop innovative solutions that will have broad acceptability and contribute towards the early restoration of peace in Ukraine. 

“India supports our state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and this is crucial because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter. And now, at the time of Russia’s war against Ukraine, India is supporting Ukraine in a humanitarian way by providing humanitarian aid packages to our country. I thank the people of India for this,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Indian side reiterated its principled position and focus on peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, as a part of which, India has attended the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, in June 2024.

The Ukrainian side welcomed such participation by India and highlighted the importance of high-level Indian participation in the next Peace Summit. Both leaders also set the goal of elevating relations between Ukraine and India to a strategic partnership in the future.

Zelenskyy thanked India for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for providing humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people. He also thanked India for its participation in the first Peace Summit and expressed hope for its further active support for the Peace Formula implementation. He also invited Narendra Modi to attend the second Peace Summit.

The Ukrainian side conveyed that the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework, adopted at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, could serve as a basis for further efforts to promote just peace based on dialogue, diplomacy, and international law.

Both Modi and  Zelenskyy expressed their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.

They reaffirmed the principle of respect for the territorial integrity of states and identified key areas of bilateral cooperation.  They agreed on the desirability of closer bilateral dialogue in this regard.

The Leaders appreciated various efforts to ensure global food security, including the Ukrainian humanitarian grain initiative. The importance of an uninterrupted and unhindered supply of agricultural products to global markets, especially in Asia and Africa, was emphasized.

During the meeting, the parties discussed prospective areas of bilateral cooperation: expansion of trade, economic and defence cooperation, India’s involvement in post-war reconstruction, and interaction in the fields of education, science, medicine and culture. Underlining the importance of defence cooperation between India and Ukraine, the Leaders agreed to continue to work towards facilitating a stronger relationship between the defence entities in both countries, including through collaborations and partnerships for manufacturing in India and cooperation in emerging areas. The sides agreed to hold the 2nd meeting of the Indian-Ukrainian Joint Working Group on Military-Technical Cooperation, established under the 2012 Defence Cooperation Agreement, soon in India.

Earlier, Modi, who is the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Kyiv since the declaration of Ukraine’s independence, was received by Zelenskyy at the Maryinskyi Palace in Kyiv. Modi in Ukraine at the invitation of Zelenskyy, who had criticised Modi for hugging President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow earlier this year. The two leaders discussed the whole gamut of bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both witnessed the signing of four agreements – (i) Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Food Industry; (ii) MoU on Cooperation in the field of Medical Products Regulation; (iii) MoU on Indian Humanitarian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects; and (iv) Programme for Cultural Cooperation for 2024-2028.

Following their meeting, a Joint Statement was released. The Leaders reviewed the steady and positive trajectory of bilateral ties that have strengthened significantly over the last three decades, and appreciated the role played by regular engagements between India and Ukraine at various levels, including their meetings in Apulia in June 2024 and in Hiroshima in May 2023 on the margins of the G7 Summits, the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to New Delhi in March 2024, multiple interactions and telephone conversations between the External Affairs Minister of India and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; between the National Security Advisor of India and the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and the 9th round of Foreign Office Consultations held in Kyiv in July 2023, in enhancing mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation.

Zelenskyy also accompanied Modi to the multimedia Martyrologist exposition on children at the National Museum of History of Ukraine in Kyiv. Modi said he was deeply touched by the poignant exposition set up in memory of children who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict with Russia. He expressed his sorrow at the tragic loss of young lives and as a mark of respect placed a toy in their memory.

Modi also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located in ‘Oasis of Peace’ park in Kyiv today. He underscored the timeless relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace in building a harmonious society. He noted that the path shown by him offered solutions to present-day global challenges.

He also interacted with Ukrainian students who are learning the Hindi language at the School of Oriental Studies in Kyiv. Modi appreciated the scholarship of the students and their contribution to promoting mutual understanding between the people of the two countries. He also commended their efforts to bring Indian culture and history closer to the Ukrainian people.

– global bihari bureau