Dialogue and diplomacy | A look at the recent visits of foreign ministers to India amid Russia-Ukraine crisis
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in India on March 31 for a two-day official visit. Recently, the foreign ministers of Britain and Russia also visited India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to maintain ties with both Moscow and Western nations despite the worsening Ukraine war and humanitarian crisis. India, which is locked in a two-year border standoff with China, is largely dependent on Russia for military supplies. However, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said India has always been in favour of resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Let’s take a look at the major visits of foreign ministers and diplomats to India amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in India on March 31 for a two-day official visit. Lavrov met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1 and briefed him on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiations. Modi reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts. The foreign ministers of Britain and Russia also recently visited India as PM Modi seeks to maintain ties with both Moscow and Western nations despite the worsening Ukraine war and humanitarian crisis. Western countries are disappointed at India’s reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. India, which is locked in a two-year border standoff with China, is largely dependent on Russia for military supplies. However, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India has always been in favour of resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Let’s take a look at the major visits of foreign ministers and diplomats to India amid the Russia-Ukraine Conflict. (Image: Twitter @mfa_russia)
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Before meeting PM Modi, Lavrov met External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The ministers in their opening remarks underlined that ties between the two countries have sustained them through difficult times in the past. Jaishankar said India has always been in favour of resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Lavrov praised India for judging "the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way." He expressed hope that mutual respect in search of a balance in ties will prevail in the future. (Image: AP)
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British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on March 31 and discussed ways to strengthen defence ties, apparently to reduce India's strategic dependence on Russia. Truss said that it was vitally important for freedom and democracy in Europe to challenge Putin's invasion and ensure that he loses in Ukraine. She also called for tighter sanctions to check Russia's ability to use gold reserves and oil and gas revenues, and said that next week's meeting of the Group of Seven major industrialised nations will discuss a timeline for reducing energy dependence on Moscow. (Image: AP)
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Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Indian counterpart and the national security adviser on March 25 as part of continuing efforts to disengage thousands of Indian and Chinese forces involved in a tense faceoff and occasional clashes along their border. A fierce brawl in June 2020 exploded into hand-to-hand combat with clubs, stones and fists that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China said it lost four soldiers in the clash. The talks between India-China on March 25 focused on expediting the disengagement of troops in friction areas and the possibility of de-escalating the situation. Wang said that the two countries should resolve the border issue and manage their differences to promote bilateral relations. However, Jaishankar said that Wang spoke about China’s desire for normalcy in ties with India. But he told him that would require restoration of peace and tranquility on the border, suggesting total disengagement of forces. (Image: AP)
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Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on March 19 during his first visit to India since assuming office. The two leaders held talks ranging from economy to security cooperation. Kishida said his country will invest $42 billion in India over the next five years in a deal that is expected to boost bilateral trade. Kishida also said the two sides reaffirmed Japan and India's commitment to strengthen security ties across the Indo-Pacific region and held discussions over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. India says ties with Japan are key to stability in the region. India is the only Quad member that has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has refrained from taking sides and abstained from voting against Russia at the UN or criticising President Vladimir Putin. Japan, meanwhile, has imposed financial sanctions to isolate Russia, including export controls on high-tech products. (Image: AP)
