Expressing “deep” concern over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India wants peace and since the beginning of the war, New Delhi has been trying to bring Moscow and Kyiv back together through diplomacy and dialogue. doing. Trying, because differences cannot be resolved with violence.
Jaishankar, who arrived here from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour, made the remarks while addressing the Indian diaspora in Austria on Sunday evening.
Jaishankar said, ‘This (Ukraine) conflict is indeed a matter of very deep concern… Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in September (that) we really believe that this is not an era of war. You cannot solve differences and issues through violence. “So from the very beginning our effort has been to urge (Russia and Ukraine) to return to dialogue and diplomacy … The prime minister himself has called the president (Vladimir) and spoken to Putin and the president on several occasions.” he said. (Volodymyr) Zelensky. I myself have spoken to my colleagues from Russia and Ukraine.
Modi, in his bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16 last year, had urged him to end the conflict saying, “Today is not the era of war”. It has not criticized India and has been maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.
“Much of this has centered around the acute challenges we face along our northern border with China. We are also constantly facing the problem of cross border terrorism from Pakistan.
Jaishankar also said in his speech that India and Austria will sign some agreements on Monday and some of them are in the interest of the Indian community. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held talks with the top Austrian leadership in their first diplomatic discussion in 2023 and conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s personal greetings to Chancellor Karl Nehmer. This is the first Foreign Minister level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and is taking place against the backdrop of the two countries completing 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.