PM Modi, Zelenskyy meet at G7; discuss restoring trade, economic ties

PM Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at the G7 Summit, agreeing to restore pre-war trade ties. Modi reiterated India's stance for peace, while Zelenskyy highlighted potential for deeper cooperation across various sectors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday reviewed bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to restore trade and expand economic ties during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France.

Following the meeting, PM Modi said the two leaders discussed various aspects of India-Ukraine cooperation and reaffirmed the importance of peace and dialogue. "Met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Evian. In recent times, India and Ukraine have been engaging extensively. This has been reflected in different areas of our cooperation. Our talks today were about reviewing different aspects of our cooperation. We both agree that trade ties need to be restored to what they were in the pre-war time. Also reiterated that India will always be on the side of peace, placing the values of humanity over everything else," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The bilateral meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Zelenskyy highlights potential for deeper cooperation

Zelenskyy also highlighted the potential for deeper cooperation between the two countries and said both sides agreed to work on expanding ongoing projects. "I met with Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Our countries have great potential for cooperation, and we are already implementing joint projects. Today, we discussed how to give them even more substance and expand cooperation across various sectors," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

"Importantly, the Prime Minister is interested in developing mutually beneficial relations with Ukraine and sees that this partnership can make our people stronger. There are good industrial and other projects that we can implement together. We agreed that our teams would work through all the details," he added.

G7 leaders reaffirm support for Ukraine

The meeting took place amid renewed international focus on the conflict in Ukraine during the G7 Summit. Earlier, G7 leaders issued a declaration reaffirming their support for Ukraine, pledging additional air defence systems, interceptors and long-range ammunition while granting licenses to expand Ukraine's military production capabilities.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sectors and provide further support to help Ukraine meet its energy needs ahead of the winter season.

In their joint declaration, G7 leaders have reiterated their "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, while commending the resilience of the Ukrainian people amid the prolonged conflict. (ANI)

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