Top officials from about 40 countries, including India, the US and China, held talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday in what Kiev and its allies hope will lead to an agreement on key principles for a peaceful end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who also arrived in Jeddah to attend a summit of national security advisers and other officials hosted by Saudi Arabia, reiterated India’s position on the conflict in Ukraine, saying the country’s approach “has been and will always support dialogue. and diplomacy”. That is the only way to peace, Doval said.
Doval said India remains an active and willing partner in the search for a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Like China, India maintains close relations with Russia and refuses to condemn it for war.
“India has regularly engaged both Russia and Ukraine at the highest levels since the beginning of the conflict. India supports a global order based on the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by all states must be enforced without exception,” the NSA said.
Doval also said that all peace efforts involving all parties must be made to find a just and lasting solution. “It was in this spirit that India participated in the Jeddah meeting,” he said.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal before he left for a historic state visit to the US in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said of the Ukraine conflict: “Some people say we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace.”
“The whole world, and especially the global South, is bearing the brunt of the situation. India provides both humanitarian aid to Ukraine and economic aid to its neighbors in the Global South… The meeting faces a dual challenge – resolving the situation and mitigating the consequences of the conflict. Efforts must be focused on both fronts simultaneously and much more groundwork is needed to ensure this,” said Doval.
The top diplomat said that India will remain an active and willing partner in the search for a lasting and comprehensive solution. Nothing would bring more happiness and satisfaction to India than such a result, he said.
“Several peace proposals have been put forward at the moment. Each has some positive points, but none is acceptable to both parties. The key issue to be resolved at the meeting is whether a solution acceptable to all relevant stakeholders can be found,” he said.
Doval was received at the Jeddah airport by Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Khan and Consul General Mohammed Shahid Alam.
An NSA meeting on Ukraine is being held in the coastal city of Jeddah to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plan for peace amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday confirmed India’s participation in the summit. “India will participate in this event and our participation is in line with our longstanding position that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
“Yes, India has been invited to a meeting organized by Saudi Arabia on Ukraine in Jeddah,” Bagchi said while answering a question at an MEA press briefing.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said: “Russia will monitor this meeting” but would have to “fully understand what goals are being set.”
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