During EAM S Jaishankar's visit, Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha backed PM Modi's anti-war stance, saying Ukraine is ready for diplomatic efforts with India's help. Discussions also covered Black Sea security and expanding bilateral economic cooperation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to move toward peace, stating that Ukraine supports ending the war and is ready to advance diplomatic efforts alongside India. Welcoming External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Kyiv, Foreign Minister Sybiha highlighted the historical significance of the visit, noting that it marks "the first in our history, separate bilateral visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India to Ukraine."
Ukraine Backs PM Modi's Call to End War
Addressing the media, Sybiha aligned Ukraine's position with India's diplomatic stance, explicitly endorsing Prime Minister Modi's recent anti-war remarks. "Prime Minister Modi said in the presence of Putin, it is time to end the endless war. We support this position. Ukraine is willing to end the war. We have realistic proposals and it is time to move to diplomatic efforts," Sybiha stated.
Focus on Peace, Black Sea Security
He added that "the center of our negotiations, of course, were peaceful efforts, our bilateral cooperation, and the navigation, freedom of navigation at the Black Sea, and global food security and safety."
Acknowledging India's role on the international stage, Sybiha added, "The role of India as a global leader is extremely important, especially for the involvement of a wider circle of countries."
Concerns Over Russian Escalation, Indian Casualties
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister raised severe concerns over Russian escalation and its impact on international shipping routes, expressing condolences over Indian casualties resulting from the conflict. "I informed my colleague on the escalation from Russia and systemic Russian attacks on civilian ships, ports, and infrastructure. Because of the Russian aggression, the Black Sea has actually become a battlefield. Among the victims, unfortunately, are the citizens of India. We express our deepest condolences to their families and the people of India," Sybiha said.
"Today, together with the minister, we discussed how we can bring back the freedom of navigation to the Black Sea, because this problem extends far beyond Ukraine. Blocking vitally important routes of delivery of Ukrainian food threatens hunger and crises to millions of people in the world. We are grateful to India for the attention and joint efforts in order to solve this problem," he noted.
Expanding Bilateral Cooperation
On the bilateral front, Sybiha emphasised plans to expand economic engagement beyond the current trade levels. "We are willing to expand our investments, business contacts. Our volume of trade is 2.6 billion dollars, but it still has huge potential for growth. And we will discuss the date of continuing our Intergovernmental Economic Commission in order to make our contacts more intense. And by the way, the co-chairs of this commission would be both of us, both Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and India respectively," he explained.
Key Sectors for Collaboration
Detailing key sectors for collaboration, Sybiha said, "We see huge perspective in energy, infrastructure, transportation, agrarian sector, pharmaceutical industry, digitalization, heavy machinery building. India is a global technological power. And Ukraine, because of the war, is among world leaders in innovative defense technologies. We are also willing to develop scientific, technical cooperation, contacts among universities and scientific institutions. We are interested in the developments of cultural and educational exchanges."
Expressing gratitude for the delegation's visit despite security risks, Sybiha concluded, "And even in spite of non-stop Russian strikes, we are still doing the visit. And I am grateful to you for your bravery and solidarity... Ukraine believes that India is a very important partner for Ukraine. We expect your further support from India of the principles of the statute of the United Nations, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the freedom of navigation and international law."
Context of PM Modi's Remarks
The remarks highlighted by the Ukrainian FM were made by PM Modi during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. "As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so. Every day spent in war pushes humanity backwards, while every step taken towards peace fills humanity with a new hope and enthusiasm. We must move from an endless war towards an end to the war. This is essential for the well-being of humanity," PM Modi said in his opening remarks at the bilateral meeting. (ANI)
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