Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg backed a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict on Monday.
During a joint news conference in Vienna, Jaishankar affirmed that India remains “deeply concerned” by the Ukraine crisis as this is “not the era of war.”
He emphasized the conflict’s fallout on developing countries in terms of surging prices of food, fuel, and fertilizers. Being the G20 president, India has the responsibility for raising this issue on behalf of the Global South.
On his part, Schallenberg noted: “We sincerely believe that this is not the era of war. Differences must be settled on the negotiating table.”
“It is imperative that there is a return to dialogue and diplomacy. Prolonged conflict will not serve the interests of any party,” the Austrian diplomat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “press India’s point of view”.
Responding to a question about India mediating between Russia and Ukraine, Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance about a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
A week ago, Zelenskyy had a phone call with Modi to call for the latter’s help with implementing a “peace formula.”
“I had a phone call with PM Narendra Modi and wished a successful G20 presidency,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter. “It was on this platform that I announced the peace formula and now I count on India’s participation in its implementation.”
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