Washington: India is engaged in a series of ongoing talks with interlocutors from all sides to find a way to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a senior Indian diplomat said on Sunday, noting that much work still needs to be done. External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri said the people see value in India’s participation in these talks.
“We are engaged in a series of ongoing talks with interlocutors from all sides. Obviously, people see value in India’s participation in these talks, and we can talk to multiple interlocutors,” External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri told reporters in New York during a special briefing on the first day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to the US. “This is not something that is going to have an outcome at the current stage because there is still a lot of work to be done,” Misri said in response to a question.
Very important discussions are currently underway with multiple people on all sides of this conflict, he added.
Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine
Notably, on August 23, Prime Minister Modi visited Ukraine and conveyed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should come together without wasting any time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an “active role” in restoring peace in the region. His nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister since independence in 1991, came six weeks after he held summit talks with President Vladimir Putin that caused angst in some Western countries.
In his talks with Zelensky in kyiv, Modi said India had been on the side of peace since the beginning of the conflict and would even like to personally contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Biden hails PM Modi’s visit to war-torn country
During the conversation, Misri said Biden hailed Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine and his message of peace as the two leaders held wide-ranging talks that addressed pressing global challenges, including the situation in the war-torn country.
In the talks, Biden conveyed to the Indian prime minister that the United States supports efforts to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including New Delhi’s permanent membership in a reformed U.N. Security Council, according to a joint fact sheet on the meeting.
While the talks between Modi and Biden focused primarily on bilateral relations, the two leaders also discussed key global challenges, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Indo-Pacific, which has seen an increasing show of force by China.
The fact sheet notes that President Biden expressed his “immense appreciation” for India’s leadership role on the world stage, particularly Modi’s leadership in the G-20 and in the Global South and his commitment to strengthening the Quad to ensure a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Bangladesh featured in discussions during the Quad Summit
Responding to another question, Misri said Bangladesh also figured in the discussions held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his bilateral and multilateral meetings. “There was an exchange of views on the situation there,” he said.
“As I said, these discussions cover issues that are in the region. They may be of bilateral interest to one side or the other, but they also have significance beyond the region. And in this context, several situations came up for discussion. Bangladesh also figured in the discussions, and there was an exchange of views on the situation…” Bangladesh had witnessed several incidents of violence and mayhem, especially targeting minorities, including Hindus, after its former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee to India after student protests turned into a mass anti-government movement. Haseena resigned from her post on August 5.
(With contributions from the agency)
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