During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Ukraine, both sides expressed a strong commitment to elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, which holds great promise for the future. Modi stated that the relationship’s growth in ties despite the ongoing conflict signifies maturity. Modi and President Volodymyr Zelensky also agreed to enhance defence cooperation, including manufacturing in India.
Zelensky mentioned that history was made during the visit. After the bilateral meeting, he posted on X that India supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “This is critical because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter,” said Zelensky.
Today, history was made. The Prime Minister of India @narendramodi made his first visit to Ukraine since our country's independence, on the eve of our Independence Day.
Today, we reached an agreement on four documents between Ukraine and India, covering the medical field,… pic.twitter.com/I65cVWkbw7
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 23, 2024
India and Ukraine have signed four agreements, one for cooperation in the agriculture and food industry and another for Indian humanitarian assistance in implementing high-impact community development projects in Ukraine. Two other agreements were signed for cooperation in medicine, drug control, and culture.
Apart from focusing on political and economic cooperation, Modi and Zelensky also agreed to work towards stronger defence cooperation through joint collaborations and partnerships for manufacturing in India and emerging areas.
“The sides agreed to hold the second meeting of Indian-Ukrainian Joint Working Group on military-technical cooperation, established under the 2012 Defence Cooperation Agreement, in the near future in India,” said the joint statement.
In their fourth meeting in the past few years, Modi and Zelensky expressed their commitment to achieving just, comprehensive, and lasting peace. They also reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening bilateral ties, based on mutual trust, respect, and openness, for the benefit of the people in both countries.
On 23rd August, Modi arrived in Kyiv on a special train from Poland, marking the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian Prime Minister since its independence in 1991. The discussions between Modi and Zelenskyy primarily focused on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stating that a significant part of the talks was devoted to bilateral ties. Both sides agreed to explore the possibility of involving Indian companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery in a suitable manner.
PM Modi extended an invitation to Zelenskyy to visit India. In a joint statement, Modi and Zelenskyy unequivocally condemned terrorism, calling for an uncompromising fight against terrorism and extremism in all their forms and manifestations. They emphasized the importance of increasing cooperation in this area based on international law and the UN Charter. Furthermore, both leaders called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary global realities and make it more representative and effective in addressing international peace and security issues.
Team BharatShakti
