Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he was looking forward to sharing perspectives with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
The Prime Minister’s comments came on Wednesday shortly before he embarked on a two-nation trip to Poland and Ukraine.
Modi on Wednesday said his maiden visit to Poland will add momentum to the bilateral friendship and benefit the people of the two countries as he arrived here on the first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Modi, who will meet Poland’s President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, said he was looking forward to the various programmes in the Polish capital here.
“Landed in Poland. Looking forward to the various programmes here. This visit will add momentum to the India-Poland friendship and benefit the people of our nations,” Modi said in a post on X soon after his arrival at the Warsaw military airport here.
On the first leg of the visit, Modi is visiting Polish capital city of Warsaw on August 21 and 22.
Modi will be in Kyiv for around seven hours on August 23 in the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991.
In a departure statement, Modi, referring to the Ukraine conflict, said as a “friend and partner”, India hopes for an early return of peace and stability in the region.
“From Poland, I will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine,” he said.
“I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” he said.
“As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” he added.
Modi said he was confident that his visit to Warsaw and Kyiv “will serve as a natural continuation of extensive contacts with the two countries and help create the foundation for stronger and more vibrant relations in the years ahead”.
The Prime Minister will travel to Kyiv from Poland in a ‘Rail Force One’ train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration.
A number of world leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kyiv by train after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Modi’s visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which drew criticism from the US and some of its Western allies. India has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
In his summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month, Modi said “a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace talks do not succeed amidst bombs and bullets.”
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said Modi’s visit to Ukraine would be a “landmark and historic” one.
“Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties. And it can only be a negotiated settlement,” said Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) in the MEA.
“On our part, India continues to engage with all stakeholders,” he said.
“My visit to Poland comes as we mark 70 years of our diplomatic relations. Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe,” he said.
“Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship. I look forward to meeting my friend Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to further advance our partnership,” he said.
