Vienna: India is an influential and credit-worthy country whose role is more than important when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine peace process, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Wednesday and offered his country as a site for dialogue as a neutral country.
Nehammer's remarks came during his joint press statement with visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their formal talks. Nehammer said he discussed with Modi the conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister Modi arrived here after holding several rounds of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
"We had very intensive talks about the Russian aggression against Ukraine. For me as the Federal Chancellor of Austria, it is particularly important to get to know India's assessment and to understand it and to familiarise India with European concerns and worries," he said. "Moreover, the conflict in the Middle East was a major topic," he added.
Before he visited Austria, Nehammer said Prime Minister Modi met President Putin. "So it was particularly important for him to hear about the Prime Minister's personal assessment regarding the intentions of Russia in respect of the peace progress," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Russia for two days for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit before visiting Austria.
During his talks with Putin on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi told him that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and bullets. "Our shared objective is to achieve a comprehensive, just and permanent peace in line with the UN Charter," he said.
He said India's participation as a founding member of a BRICS organisation in the Swiss peace summit in June over Russia-UKraine was was an important signal. "And today, we've been talking about an even stronger commitment and the possibilities of reviving the peace process."
"Prime Minister Modi and myself discussed the unique position of India in the so-called Global South. India is an important, influential and credit-worthy country. India is the biggest democracy in the world. And therefore, India's role, especially for Austria, is more than important when it comes to the peace process and future peace summits," he said.
Nehammer said as a reliable partner, Austria will be available as a site for dialogue, making use of its unique position as a neutral country, a member of the European Union but not a member of NATO. "As such Austria is willing to act as a bridge builder and to contribute towards the achievement of a peaceful solution," he said.
