New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Friday said that India and Ukraine have had interactions at various levels in recent months, which have created certain momentum in the bilateral relationship. At the meeting with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba here at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, Jaishankar said, “…In recent months, we have had interactions at various levels, I am glad to see some of our bilateral mechanisms have also met and this has created certain momentum in our bilateral relationship.”
“And today, after this discussion in the afternoon, we look forward also to the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission. Your visit gives us an opportunity, to understand the situation in your own region. Our teams have prepared a very substantial agenda of our discussions, and I would invite you to make your opening remarks," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.
Kuleba, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, is on a two-day visit to India. Kuleba’s visit comes amid efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the over two-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict and to pitch for a peace summit. In his opening remarks, Kuleba said that India and Ukraine have been traditional friends and he believes there is much more that the two countries can do and should do, not only in the interest of our nations, but also in the interest of global development and security architecture.
"We will be looking forward to restoring what existed before the large-scale invasion of Russia and Ukraine began. We will be looking forward to discussing new areas and projects of our cooperation because I do believe that this relationship has a strategic perspective…Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke in person and on the phone several times and always instructed Foreign Ministers to push this relationship forward….,” Kuleba added.
During the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two leaders will also discuss regional and global issues of common concern, Jaiswal had said, adding that there are several other engagements also lined up for the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.
“Our position is very clear on peace initiatives and how we look at the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy and remain open to engaging all ways and means that would help achieve this objective,” the MEA spokesperson had said in a query on India’s position at the Peace conference in Switzerland.
The peace formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022 follows 10 principles aimed at ensuring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The visit of the Ukrainian Foreign minister comes just a few days after PM Modi spoke to Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky.
During Holi last week, in a video post shared on a social media platform, Kuleba confirmed his visit to India, marking one of the first official visits of a top Ukrainian leader since Russia escalated a war in February 2022. He asserted this would be his maiden trip- which means the main focus of Kuleba would be meeting top officials of India.
He emphasized Gandhi's contribution to India's independence, peace, and freedom and said Ukraine also needed the same."Today, India celebrates Holi, the most beautiful and colourful spring holiday. I wish everyone a happy Holi! Standing here in Kyiv, in front of Mahatma Gandhi's monument, I am also pleased to announce that this week I will pay my first-ever visit to India," he said in a post on X.
In January, Jaishankar and Kuleba held a phone conversation focusing on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Kyiv's peace formula. Following the conversation, Kuleba had said that he conveyed to his Indian counterpart the peace formula and Ukraine's plan for the 'Global Peace Summit' of leaders.
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