Warsaw: Ahead of his much-anticipated visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India bats for peace in the region and believes in dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflict. Addressing the Indian community in Poland, the Prime Minister also iterated that “this is not an era of war”.
“India is the land of Lord Buddha’s legacy. Therefore, India is an advocate of permanent peace in this region. India’s concept is clear – this is not an era of war… India believes in dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflict,” PM Modi told the gathering in the Polish capital on Wednesday.
‘Today’s India wants to connect with all’
He further said that India had a policy for decades to maintain distance from all the countries. However, the policy of today’s India is to remain close to all the countries, he added. “Today’s India wants to connect with all. Today’s India talks about the development of all. Today’s India is with all and thinks about the interests of all,” Modi said.
PM Modi’s remarks comes ahead of his trip to Kyiv. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to make a Ukraine trip since the country became independent in 1991 and is also the first in 45 years to travel to Poland.
The Prime Minister, who is visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 23, has said that he will share with the Ukrainian leader perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict. His visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Russia, which drew criticism from the US and some of its Western allies. Before his departure for Poland, PM Modi said, “As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region.”
In September 2022, PM Modi made the “not an era of war” comment for the first time during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an SCO summit.