Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 31 that the war in Ukraine needed to end for humanity’s sake and that New Delhi would support every peace effort to stop the fighting, according to media reports.
Modi, who made his comments at the start of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, called Putin “my friend” and hailed growing economic ties between the two countries which he said were guided by the need to put the interests of both nations above all else.
“As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future,” Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to a Kremlin transcript of their exchange.
“Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction,” said Modi.
“Thank you very much, Prime Minister. We are moving forward along this path,” Putin responded.
Global issues
The two leaders shared perspectives on key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers, They reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in a range of fields, including political, economic, defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties.
