Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ukraine (ANI) Kyiv (Ukraine) : The bilateral talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy came to an end on Friday. The talks took place for over three hours. PM Modi's talks with the Ukrainian president is seen by analysts as an assertion of strategic autonomy of India on the global political stage.
Four landmark agreements were reached between India & Ukraine during the current visit of PM Modi, which is the first-ever visit paid by an Indian Prime Minister after Ukraine achieved independence in 1991. The three agreements aim at boosting bilateral cooperation in agriculture, medicine, culture & humanitarian assistance.
On the other hand, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that PM Modi and President Zelenskyy tasked the inter-governmental commission to specifically focus on rebuilding trade and economic relations between the two countries. The main focus of the bilateral discussions between PM Modi and President Zelenskyy was on the war in Ukraine, the EAM said.
Both the leaders reiterated readiness to uphold principles of international law such as respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, Jaishankar said.
On the other hand, President Zelenskyy termed PM Modi's visit as historic. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Zelenskyy said, "Today, history was made. The Prime Minister of India@narendramodi made his first visit to Ukraine since our country's independence, on the eve of our Independence Day. Today, we reached an agreement on four documents between Ukraine and India, covering the medical field, agricultural cooperation, humanitarian relations, and culture."
Zelenskyy further said, "following the visit, we also agreed on a joint statement focusing on the development of a strategic partnership, bilateral trade, and continued military-technical cooperation. India supports Ukraine's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. And this is critical because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter."
Earlier, PM Modi began his historic trip to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, in a keenly watched visit that came just six weeks after he travelled to Moscow, and is aimed at exploring ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister after Ukraine became independent in 1991 and his trip comes amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive into Russian territory.
On his arrival following a nearly 10-hour train journey from Poland, Modi was accorded a warm welcome by members of the Indian community at the Hyatt Hotel. Soon after, Modi visited the Martyrologist Exposition at the Ukraine National Museum where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warmly shook hands with the prime minister and hugged him.
Modi will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelenskyy with a focus on bringing peace and stability to Ukraine and the larger region. The prime minister's visit to Kyiv is seen in many quarters as a diplomatic balancing act as his trip to Russia triggered anguish among the Western countries. (with agency inputs)
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