New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that no country could emerge victorious from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He reiterated India’s appeal to end the war, firmly saying, “We are for peace.”
Narendra Modi is on a three-day tour of Europe and was in Berlin Monday.
After a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Modi reiterated: “Recent geopolitical incidents have shown that world peace and stability is in critical condition and how all countries are interconnected. We had said that talks are the only way to solve the Ukraine crisis.”
Scholz said through its attack on Ukraine, “Russia has violated fundamental principles of international law”. “The war and the brutal attacks against civilian population in Ukraine show how unrestrained Russia has been in violating the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. I repeat my appeal to Vladimir Putin — end this senseless killing, withdraw your troops from Ukraine.”
Modi reviewed with Scholz a “full range of bilateral ties” between the two countries, including giving an impetus to trade and culture.
He said: “India is committed to quick progress in free-trade agreement negotiations with the European Union.”
Scholz said India’s role was important in global economy and climate change talks.
He added: “India is among our very important partners here. The world can only develop well if we are clear that future relations in the world will be characterised and marked by many countries, not by a few powerful ones.”
The Indian Prime Minister announced that India and Germany had decided to set up a green-hydrogen task force.
The Prime Minister said: “Today, we launched the Indo-German partnership on green and sustainable development. Germany has decided to support the green growth plan of India with an additional development aid of 10 billion euros till 2030.”
The German Chancellor invited Modi for the G7 summit in his country at the end of June. The G7 is an informal political group of seven economies – US, EU, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, France and Canada.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Modi’s meeting with Scholz covered “key areas of bilateral cooperation under the overall strategic partnership, as well as regional and global developments”.
Delegation-level talks followed the one-on-one meeting at the Federal Chancellery between the two premiers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day tour of Europe would seriously deliberate on the war in Ukraine, his party said in India on Monday, while the Opposition urged him to explain the government’s stand to the West.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that governments in Europe “were agitated about the Russian invasion of Ukraine”. He said: “Given that there is controversy in the West on India’s position on the Ukraine crisis, it becomes an opportunity for the Prime Minister to explain his government’s stand on it and also understand their point of view.”
From Germany, Narendra Modi flies to Denmark to meet leaders of Nordic countries Tuesday. He will conclude his Europe trip in Paris Wednesday after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron.
Also read: Ukraine on agenda during Modi’s Europe trip, ‘explain our stand to West,’ says Oppn