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Informist, Monday, Aug 19, 2024

 

NEW DELHI – Over a month after his trip to Russia, which faced criticism from Western countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine and hold discussions on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ministry of External Affairs today said Modi will visit Poland on Wednesday and Thursday, and then Ukraine on Friday.

 

Modi will hold a discussion on the entire gamut of bilateral relations with the Ukrainian president, ranging from economic and business linkages, defence, health and education, agriculture, and culture to people-to-people ties, among others.

 

Ministry of External Affairs Secretary, West, Tanmaya Lal said the Russia-Ukraine war will be a part of the discussion. India has maintained a very clear and consistent position that dialogue is absolutely essential to resolve the conflict, the secretary said.

 

"Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties, and it can only be a negotiated settlement. On our part, India continues to engage with all stakeholders," the secretary said. "Prime Minister Modi has had conversations with leaders of both Russia and Ukraine, as you know, and the PM also visited Russia recently," Lal said, adding that India is willing to provide all possible support and contribution required to help find peaceful solutions to this complex issue.

 

On whether the visit to Ukraine is being made under pressure from western countries, particularly the US, after Modi's Russia visit, Lal said India has substantive and independent ties with both Russia and Ukraine and these partnerships, they stand on their own.

 

"This is not a zero-sum game. The prime minister had also travelled to Russia. Many ideas were discussed. The prime minister has also met President Zelenskyy on a couple of occasions in the last one year or so, and they will now be meeting again in Ukraine. The ongoing conflict will form part of the discussions," Lal said.

 

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi and Zelenskyy have had three bilateral meetings on the margins of multilateral events. The most recent meeting between both leaders took place on Jun 14 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia in Italy. Previously, they had met in Hiroshima in May 2023 on the margins of the G7 Summit, and in November 2019 on the sidelines of COP26. Both leaders have also had seven telephone conversations so far, the ministry said.

 

In Poland, the prime minister will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Warsaw. Modi will hold talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda. He will address the Indian community, which is estimated around 25,000 and also hold meetings with business leaders. This is a landmark visit as a prime minister of India is visiting Poland after 45 years, the ministry of external affairs said. Modi will visit Poland following an invitation from his Polish counterpart.

 

The ministry also said the visit to Poland is important as it is the sixth-largest economy in the European Union and the trade between the two countries stands at $6 bln. The leaders will review bilateral partnership and address regional and global issues of mutual interest, the ministry said.  End

 

US$1 = 83.87 rupees

 

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Manisha Baxla

 

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