Ukraine top diplomat in India to bolster bilateral ties
March 28, 2024
Ukraine's top diplomat landed in New Delhi on Thursday, where he is on a two-day trip aiming to boost bilateral ties and advance Kyiv's vision for peace in Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday, as well as the deputy national security adviser, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
The top diplomat will pay his respects to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat memorial site on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian-Indian cooperation is important and we will be reinvigorating ties," Kuleba said in a social media statement. "Building on the dialogue between [Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy] and [Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi], we will pay specific attention to the Peace Formula."
Where does India stand on Ukraine?
Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone.
Modi said on social media that he had expressed to Zelenskyy "India's consistent support for all efforts for peace and bringing in an early end to the ongoing conflict," adding that the country will continue to provide humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, Modi also spoke to Putin to congratulate him on his reelection. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders agreed to further their already strong relationship. Modi stressed that dialogue and peace were the best way forward.
Kyiv is eyeing a summit of world leaders to advance its blueprint for peace, yet without Russian participation. Moscow has dismissed the Ukrainian initiative as a non-starter.
New Delhi has consistently steered clear of criticizing Russia, its time-tested ally, and has increased its Russian oil purchase to record levels since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
rmt/wd (AP, Reuters)