- Saturday, April 20, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (1) spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin during which he reiterated New Delhi’s longstanding stance on the Ukraine crisis, favouring dialogue and diplomacy.
In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders spoke on global issues, including the current situation in international energy and food markets, a statement from the Indian prime minister’s office (PMO) said.
The duo also reviewed the implementation of the decisions that were taken during Putin’s visit to India last December. They also spoke on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilizers and pharma products could be encouraged more, the PMO’s statement added.
“In the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister reiterated India’s long-standing position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy,” the PMO said.
Modi and Putin also agreed to maintain regular consultations on global and bilateral issues, it said.
Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Kremlin press as saying that the two leaders discussed pressing issues pertaining to ties between New Delhi and Moscow, while focusing on steps to improve further mutually advantageous economic cooperation.
The two leaders also expressed mutual willingness to enhance the privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India, the Kremlin press service was quoted as saying in a statement.
It also said that Putin discussed with Modi the progress of the “special military operation” in Ukraine and, in particular, drew attention to the “escalation of the crisis by Kiev and its Western patrons”.
Putin briefed Modi on key aspects of Russia’s military operation, “stressing the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kiev regime and its Western patrons to escalate the crisis and derail efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically,” the Russian statement said.
“Putin drew attention to the systemic mistakes made by a number of countries, which led to the disruption of free trade in food products and provoked a significant increase in their price. Illegitimate sanctions against Russia have exacerbated an already difficult situation,” the Kremlin press service said.
It also said that Putin emphasised that Russia has been and remains a reliable producer and supplier of grain, fertilizers, and energy carriers, including to Indian partners.
Modi’s conversation with Putin comes days after the Indian prime minister, in an apparent reference to the Ukraine crisis, had noted that the G7 and those invited at its recent summit in Germany were meeting amid an atmosphere of global tension and asserted that India has always been in favour of peace.
“Even in the present situation, we have constantly urged for the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The impact of this geopolitical tension is not just limited to Europe. The rising prices of energy and food grains are affecting all the countries,” Modi had said in his remarks at a G7 summit session.
