India supports restoration of peace between Ukraine and Russia and is committed to providing “all possible assistance” to end the crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Modi took part in the meeting soon after reaching Kazan, where Russia is hosting the 16th BRICS summit against the backdrop of the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. Mr. Modi later met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and called for the de-escalation of tensions in the West Asian region. “We have been in continuous contact over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As I have said before, we continue to believe that these disputes should be resolved through peaceful means. We support restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible. Our efforts prioritise humanity. India is ready to provide all possible assistance in the upcoming period,” Mr. Modi said in his remarks. An editorial in The Hindu had pointed out that while Mr. Modi has consistently said that India is “on the side of peace” alone, New Delhi has been seen as partial to Moscow, given its much closer historical ties and military and energy dependencies, and will need to recast itself in a more unbiased image. Mr. Modi’s participation in the BRICS events in Kazan comes months after he travelled to Moscow for the annual India-Russia summit in July, and after a visit to Ukraine in August. Mr. Modi was received by Rustam Minnikhanov, head of the Republic of Tatarstan, and given a traditional Tatar welcome at Kazan, capital of Tatarstan.
In his meeting with the new Iranian President, Mr. Modi discussed the Chabahar port, the North-South Transport Corridor, and the situation in Afghanistan. “The Prime Minister expressed his deep concern over the escalating conflict and reiterated India’s call for the protection of civilians and emphasised the need for dialogue and diplomacy,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. At a press briefing, Mr. Misri said the two sides also discussed the early release of Indian nationals who had ended up fighting for the Russian military on the Ukraine front, after being duped by unscrupulous foreign employment agents. Mr. Misri announced that the two sides will hold the 25th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on trade, technical and cultural cooperation in November in New Delhi and that India will soon be opening two new consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The BRICS summit in Kazan is the first occasion when the grouping will convene in its expanded shape that it acquired after the Johannesburg summit in 2023. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE were cleared to join BRICS in Johannesburg and the process of new members’ admission was completed on January 1, 2024. The summit, which will be held on Wednesday, under the chairship of Russia has also drawn global attention as it is being interpreted as a sign of Russia’s leading position despite the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on Wednesday, Mr. Misri said on Tuesday, days after the two countries agreed on a border pact.
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Published – October 23, 2024 07:21 am IST