Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday over phone and reaffirmed his appeal for discussion and diplomacy “as the only way forward” in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
PM Modi and Russian President Putin discussed a number of bilateral relations during their phone call, including collaboration in the energy industry, commerce and investment, defence and security, and other areas.
The two presidents’ discussions come after their face-to-face encounter on September 16 in Samarkand, which took place in conjunction with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
PM Modi gave Putin a briefing on India’s current G20 Presidency and outlined its top priorities during their phone call today. According to the PMO statement, Modi expressed his eagerness for both countries to cooperate while India is the SCO’s chair. The two presidents decided to keep in touch with one another.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed appreciation for the ongoing momentum in bilateral relations, including contacts at various levels, during their most recent meeting in Samarkand. PM Modi stated that “today’s period is not about conflict” in his remarks.
“Today’s era is not of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India, Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades,” PM Modi said.
“We spoke several times on the phone about India-Russia bilateral relations and various issues. We should find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security and fertilizers. I want to thank Russia and Ukraine for helping us to evacuate our students from Ukraine,” he added.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin had said, “I know about your position on Ukraine conflict. I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible.”
He added, “But the other party, the leadership of Ukraine has claimed… that they refuse to engage in the negotiation process. They said they want to achieve their objectives, as they say, on the battlefield militarily. We will keep you abreast of everything that is happening over there.”