“Any person who believes in humanity feels pain when people die, and especially when innocent children die. When we feel such pain, the heart simply explodes, and I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with you yesterday,” Modi said, adding that a “solution cannot be found on the battlefield”.
The PM said: “For a bright future, war is not a solution. India is in favour of peace. I am hopeful of peace. Ready to cooperate for peace,” Modi said. Briefing the media, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said the two leaders discussed several ideas on addressing the Ukraine conflict.
Putin thanked Modi for the attention that the PM gives to resolving the Ukrainian crisis peacefully.
The two leaders also sought to step up counter-terror cooperation to safeguard Eurasian security in the backdrop of terror attacks in Moscow-Dagestan regions and J&K
Putin said India suffered due to terrorism and underscored that Moscow and Dagestan too have been victims of terrorist attacks. Modi condemned the recent incidents in Russia. “We have been facing this for 40 years. I know how horrible and disgusting terrorism is,” the PM said.According to the joint statement after the summit, they strongly condemned the recent dastardly terrorist attack in J&K’s Kathua.The two sides called for an uncompromising fight against international terrorism and extremism in all their forms and manifestations.
“Russia and India share a privileged strategic partnership, strengthened by friendship. There are ongoing constant contacts between Russia and India. Trade turnover between Russia and India increased by 20% in the first quarter of 2024,” Putin told the PM.
“Russia has been one of the poles in a multipolar world. A serious consequence of the Ukraine conflict has been to push Russia into the Chinese orbit. India’s engagement is designed to not only provide Russia with options in a shrinking geo-political space but also to preserve our strategic autonomy,” former foreign secretary Harsh Shringla told ET.
