'India on Side of Peace, Will Firmly Remain There': Jaishankar at UN General Assembly on Ukraine War

As the Ukraine war remained the significant agenda at the 77th UN General Assembly, India on Saturday strongly called for the need to end the war through diplomacy and reiterated its stand on the conflict. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India is one the side of peace and will remain firmly there.

“We are often asked whose side we are on. And our answer, each time, is straight and honest. India is on the side of peace and will remain firmly there,” Jaishankar said, according to news agency ANI.

“We are on the side that respects the UN Charter and its founding principles,” he added, reiterating India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Jaishankar called for return to diplomacy and said that he is on the side that calls for dialogue. the Ukraine war remained the top agenda as every leader during the week reiterated the impact of the conflict.

“We are on the side of those struggling to make ends meet, even as they stare at escalating costs of food, fuel and fertilizers,” Jaishankar said in his address at the UN assembly.

“It is therefore in our collective interest to work constructively, both within the United Nations and outside, in finding an early resolution to this conflict,” he added.

Ahead of his address, Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and exchanged views on Ukraine.

Jaishankar called Russia as a “major partner in many domains” and said that the discussions with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov focused on “bilateral cooperation” as well as the conflict in Ukraine.

“We discussed a number of issues. Some part of my meeting was focused on our bilateral cooperation because Russia is a major partner in many domains,” Jaishankar said.

During the UNSC meeting held earlier this week, Jaishankar said that the need of the hour is to end the conflict in Ukraine and return to dialogue. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this cannot be an era of war.

“The trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the entire international community. The future outlook appears even more disturbing. The nuclear issue is a particular anxiety,” he told the 15-nation UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine Fight against impunity.

(With inputs from agencies)

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