New Delhi. India reiterated on Wednesday that the best option to resolve the Ukraine conflict is dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Italy to attend the annual summit of the G-7 group. The main focus of this summit will be on dealing with the global geopolitical turmoil. PM Modi will go to Italy on Thursday with a high-level delegation to participate in the contact session of the summit to be held on June 14. This will be his first foreign visit after assuming office as Prime Minister for the third term.
The ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza are likely to dominate the G-7 summit to be held from June 13 to 15 at the luxurious resort of Borgo Egnazia in the Apulia region of Italy. When asked about the Ukraine conflict, Vinay Kwatra said, “We have always believed that dialogue and diplomacy are the best options to resolve it.” He also recalled Prime Minister Modi’s statement in September 2022 that “today is not the era of war”.
Kwatra spoke about the consequences of the war, including the impact on the availability of food, fuel and fertilizer, challenges to global supply chains, and disruptions to the global economy. “We have always been at the forefront of talking not only about the conflict, the need for dialogue and diplomacy, but also about how the conflict is affecting the priorities and interests of developing countries,” he said.
He said, “We have always been at the forefront of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and assistance to the global south affected by conflict, to mitigate the challenges faced by the global south due to conflict.” The Foreign Secretary said that India will continue to share its vision with world leaders during the summit and will continue to emphasize the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation.
Kwatra said that Modi will participate in a connectivity session with other countries on June 14. This session will focus on issues related to artificial intelligence, energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. The Foreign Secretary said that Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the G-7 summit will provide an opportunity to discuss the results of the G-20 summit held under India’s chairmanship last year.
The foreign secretary said India’s regular participation in the G-7 summit reflects the growing recognition of New Delhi’s efforts to tackle global challenges. Kwatra said Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “In the meeting, the two Prime Ministers are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and provide guidelines for the next steps,” he said.
PM Modi is also likely to hold bilateral meetings with some other leaders. When asked whether the Prime Minister will hold any bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kwatra did not give a direct answer and said that PM Modi’s program is still being finalized.
Tags: Narendra Modi, russia, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 12, 2024, 22:33 IST