External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with the top leaders of Russia and Ukraine were “the beginning of a communication process” between the two countries involved in a serious conflict that has had huge consequences.
In an interactive session at The Conclave 2024 organized by news channel Pratidin Time, Mr Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi is one of the very few world leaders who has the “ability” to talk to both the leaders, who have “confidence” in him. ” We do.
“What are we trying to do? You don’t necessarily have to mediate…sometimes you have to communicate. We are, in fact, talking to two countries simultaneously,” he said to a question on India’s role. There are those between whom there is a conflict going on.” “Mediation” in the Ukraine conflict.
Mr Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi has held at least three meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and one with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had also met Putin in September and briefed him about PM Modi’s discussions with Zelensky.
Jaishankar said, “Obviously this conversation focused on what the conflict is about. It was necessary for NSA Doval to go to Russia so that the Russians know what the Prime Minister talked to Zelensky.”
He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered its third year and has resulted in huge humanitarian losses and huge economic consequences around the world.
“You can either look at this conflict and say that none of us could do anything about it and say that it will end when it does. Or you can say that I am in some of those countries Or in our case I am one of the few Prime Ministers who has the ability to speak there and both sides trust him and let’s see if something moves forward from these talks,” Mr Jaishankar said.
“I think this is the beginning of the communication process. I haven’t reached that point yet as to where it will lead,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar said world leaders are supporting what India is doing.
“People are very happy today. They say that you have a person like PM Modi who has the ability to go to both the capitals and have that kind of communication,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)