New Delhi: India is “on the side of peace” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The world will only progress if we walk on the path of peace,” Modi said in his remarks.
The Indian Prime Minister added that the regular talks with Russia on the war in Ukraine “signals” the deep mutual trust between the two countries.
On his part, President Putin thanked Modi for his efforts in working towards “finding a solution” to end the almost four-year-long war.
“I shared in great detail of the events taking place in Ukraine. We are working together with some partners including the US on a possible peace deal. Thank you for your attention towards finding a solution from your end,” Putin said.
India maintains that only “dialogue and diplomacy” will find a solution to the issues between Russia and Ukraine. In February 2022, Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine that has continued since.
The US led by President Donald Trump has been working on finding a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, with a potential 28-point proposal under discussion between the two countries. The proposal has since been amended to 19 points after discussions between the US along with Ukraine and European leaders.
New Delhi has maintained strong ties with Moscow despite the war, with economic engagement deepening over the last four years. Trade touched $68 billion last year. The visit by the Russian President is set to further deepen the engagement in different sectors, primarily the economy, nuclear cooperation, mobility and defence.
India’s oil purchases from Russia have taken a hit following sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil imposed by the US. The high-level discussions are expected to raise the issue of American sanctions and ways for the two countries to continue trading with one another.
The Russian President is on a two-day visit to New Delhi, the tenth for Putin since 2000. India and Russia maintain an annual bilateral summit. On Friday morning, he received a ceremonial welcome to the Rashtrapati Bhavan before paying his respects at Rajghat to Mahatma Gandhi.
Modi is holding delegation-level talks with the Russian President at Hyderabad House. The Russian President arrived Thursday evening and held a private meeting with the Indian leader at the Prime Minister’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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