New Delhi [India], March 29 : Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he held "comprehensive talks" with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on bilateral ties and global security. The two leaders also paid special attention to the Peace Formula and the next steps to be adopted for its implementation.
Jaishankar and Kuleba also co-chaired the Ukrainian-Indian intergovernmental commission review meeting and agreed to restore the level of cooperation between our countries that existed before the conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2022.
In a post on X, Dmytro Kuleba stated, "In New Delhi, I had sincere and comprehensive talks with @DrSJaishankar about Ukrainian-Indian bilateral relations, the situation in our regions, and global security. We paid specific attention to the Peace Formula and next steps on the path of its implementation. We also co-chaired the Ukrainian-Indian intergovernmental commission review meeting and agreed to restore the level of cooperation between our countries that existed prior to the full-scale war launched by Russia, as well as identify new promising projects to take our relations to the next level."
In 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first presented Ukraine's 10-point peace formula to world leaders at the G20 Summit in Indonesia's Bali. The 10-point peace formula includes a path to nuclear safety and food security, a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes and a final peace treaty with Moscow.
During the meeting, Jaishankar and Kuleba held discussions focused on the ongoing conflict and its wider ramifications. The two leaders also spoke on global and regional issues of interest to both nations.
Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "An open and wide-ranging conversation with Ukraine FM @DmytroKuleba this afternoon. Our discussions focused on the ongoing conflict and its wider ramifications. Exchanged views on various initiatives in that context. Spoke as well on global and regional issues of interest to both of us. Reiterated our commitment to strengthen the overall relationship, including bilateral cooperation."
At the meeting with EAM Jaishankar, Kuleba stated that Ukraine will be looking forward to discussing new areas of cooperation with India.
He said, "India and Ukraine have been traditional friends but I think there is much more that we can do and should do, not only in the interest of our nations, but also in the interest of global development and security architecture."
"We will be looking forward to restoring what had existed before the large-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine began, existed between us. We will be looking forward to discussing new areas and projects of our cooperation because I do believe that this relationship has a strategic perspective," he added.
He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have spoken several times and have instructed the foreign ministers to push the ties between the two nations forward. He stated that he looked forward to delivering on the instructions given by the leaders of the two nations.
Dmytro Kuleba said, "And therefore, our leaders spoke, Prime Minister Modi and President Zelenskyy, they spoke in person and on the phone a number of times, and they always instruct us foreign ministers to push this relationship forward. So we have a big work to do. And I'm looking forward to delivering so that we can report to our leaders, but also to the peoples of India and Ukraine, two big, friendly nations."
In his opening remarks during the meeting, Jaishankar said, "We have been looking forward to this visit...In recent months, we have had interactions at various levels, I am glad to see some of our bilateral mechanisms have also met and this has created certain momentum in our bilateral relationship. Today, after this discussion, we look forward also to the meeting of the intergovernmental commission."
"Your visit gives us an opportunity to understand the situation in your own region and I look forward to hearing your perspective on that. Our teams have prepared a very substantial agenda for discussions," he added.
Upon his arrival in India on Thursday, Dmytro Kuleba said that his two-day official visit will look to boost bilateral ties between the two countries and build on the dialogue between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I began my visit to New Delhi upon @DrSJaishankar's invitation. The Ukrainian-Indian cooperation is important and we will be reinvigorating ties. Building on the dialogue between @ZelenskyyUa and @NarendraModi, we will pay specific attention to the Peace Formula," Kuleba said in a post on X.
The visit comes days after a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 20, in which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Ukraine partnership in various spheres.
While discussing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM Modi reiterated India's people-centric approach and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward. He highlighted that India supports all efforts for an early and peaceful resolution of all issues between the parties.
He added that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution. Ukrainian resident Zelenskyy appreciated India's continued humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine.