Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India supports peace in the volatile region of Ukraine and reiterated that "this is not an era of war".
The Prime Minister was addressing the Indian diaspora in Poland's capital Warsaw ahead of his visit to Ukraine.
During his address, PM Modi said that India maintained distance from all the countries for decades but the new Bharat fosters close ties with nations.
"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, who is the first Indian PM to visit Poland in 45 years, said.
Reiterating his stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM Modi said that the present era is not that of war, adding that India believes in "diplomacy and dialogues".
"India is an advocate of permanent peace in this region. Our stand is very clear - this isn't an era of war. This is the time to come together against those challenges which threaten humanity. Therefore, India believes in diplomacy and dialogues," he said.
He said that India follows Buddha’s tradition of "peace not war".
The Prime Minister added that India is one of the first countries to extend a helping hand to nations dealing with crises.
"Empathy is one of the identities of Indians. Whenever any trouble mounts in any country, India is the first country to extend help ... when Covid hit the world, India said humanity first," he said.
He also praised the Poland government for facilitating the safe return of Indians who were stuck in Ukraine during the early days of Russia's invasion.
"You people helped the Indian students who were struck in Ukraine. The Polish government removed the visa restrictions for Indian students. Poland opened their doors for our students ... today, I want to congratulate you all, the Poland government and the people, on behalf of 140 crore Indians. I salute you all," he said.
Prime Minister Modi's message of peace during the conflict of Ukraine has resonated across the world, with his remarks to Russian President Vladimir Putin even making it to the G20 communique in 2023.
During his bilateral meeting with Putin in Uzbekistan in 2022, PM Modi had said "today's era is not of war" and nudged him to end the conflict.
PM Modi is set to visit Ukraine on August 23 at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ahead of his visit, PM Modi said that he will share with the Ukrainian leader perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
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