India reiterates dialogue, diplomacy in Jaishankar's meeting with Ukrainian counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed recent developments related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session.

During the meeting in New York, Jaishankar reiterated India's position that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar and Sybiha discussed developments in the conflict in recent weeks. He said India remained in contact with both Ukraine and Russia and was ready to contribute in any way that could help resolve the conflict.

Jaiswal also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, saying India hoped that "endless wars" would give way to an end to the conflict and that a peaceful resolution could be reached through dialogue and diplomacy at an early date.

Jaishankar, in a post on X, said he was pleased to meet Sybiha again following his recent visit to Ukraine. He said their discussion focused on developments over the past few weeks.

Sybiha said the two ministers discussed peace efforts, bilateral cooperation and international developments. He also said they discussed the situation in the Black Sea and its implications for markets.

"Restoring freedom of navigation is critical for global food security. Ukraine is ready to play a constructive role and we value India's engagement," Sybiha said.  (with inputs from PTI)