Jaishankar said world leaders supported what India was doing. | File photo: Shutterstock
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with top leaders of Russia and Ukraine were “the beginning of a communication process” between two countries embroiled in a serious conflict that has had enormous consequences, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday.
In an interactive session at The Conclave 2024 organized by news channel Pratidin Time, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi is one of the few world leaders who has the “ability” to speak to both leaders, who “trust” him.
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“What are we trying to do? You don’t necessarily have to mediate… sometimes you have to communicate. We are actually talking to two countries at the same time that are in conflict,” he said when asked about India’s role in the fight against India . “mediation” in the conflict in Ukraine.
Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi has had at least three meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also met Putin in September to brief him about Modi’s talks with Zelenskyy.
“Clearly, that conversation focuses on what the conflict is all about. It was necessary for NSA Doval to go to Russia so that the Russians know what the Prime Minister said to Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar said.
He said the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its third year and has had enormous human costs and enormous economic consequences around the world.
“You can look at this conflict and say none of us can do anything about it and say it will end when it ends. Or you can say that I am one of the few countries or in our case one of the few Prime Ministers who has the ability to speak there and both sides trust him and see if anything comes out of these talks,” Jaishankar said.
“I think this is the beginning of a communication process. Where this will lead, I haven’t quite reached that point yet,” he added.
Jaishankar said world leaders supported what India was doing.
“People are very happy these days. They say you have someone like Prime Minister Modi who has the ability to go to both capitals and have that kind of communication,” he said.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First publication: Oct 5, 2024 | 8:07 PM IST