External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a visit to Moscow to improve bilateral ties between India and Russia, and to also discuss the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war across the globe, which is causing international tensions and hostilities.
During a press briefing alongside his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Jaishnkar said he exchanged views on international issues with the Russian side, in which the Ukraine conflict was the dominant feature, as per ANI reports.
Though India has not firmly taken a side in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it has often reiterated that the crisis needs to be resolved with diplomacy and dialogue, which is what S Jaishankar said during the press briefing in Moscow.
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"As Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Russian President Putin: this is not an era of war. The global economy is simply too interdependent for significant conflict anywhere not to have major consequences elsewhere," the Indian foreign minister said.
"We are seeing growing concerns on the energy and food security, emanating from the conflict, that are coming on top of severe stresses created by two years of Covid," he further added. Jaishankar further said the impact of Ukraine’s conflict is being severely felt by the global south.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine started when in February, the Russian military launched a series of attacks against Kyiv, saying that the drills were a part of a “special military exercise”. Russia has since crossed the border of Ukraine and occupied several parts of the country.
EAM S Jaishankar is on a 2-day visit to Moscow, in continuation of the regular high-level dialogue between the two sides. During his meeting with Lavrov, he reviewed the entire gamut of the India-Russia relationship.
"Just concluded comprehensive discussions with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reviewed the entire gamut of our steady and time-tested relationship. Also exchanged perspectives from our vantage points on global and regional developments," he said in a tweet.
(With ANI inputs)
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