At a Saudi Arabia-hosted meeting, New Delhi reiterated its approach centered around promoting dialogue and diplomacy
India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, who attended peace talks in Jeddah hosted over the weekend by Saudi Arabia, emphasized that India’s approach has consistently been and will continue to be centered around promoting dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path towards achieving peace.
Doval reaffirmed India’s commitment to actively collaborate in finding a lasting and comprehensive solution to the crisis. “The global impact of the Ukraine conflict is substantial, particularly for countries in the Global South. In response, India is providing both humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and economic aid to its neighboring countries in the Global South,” the official said, according to Indian media reports.
“The meeting in Jeddah presents a twofold challenge — resolving the ongoing situation and mitigating the repercussions of the conflict. To address these challenges effectively, concerted efforts must be directed towards both aspects simultaneously, requiring substantial groundwork,” Doval added.
The NSA stressed the significance of pursuing peace efforts involving all stakeholders to achieve a just and enduring resolution. “It is in this spirit that India participated in the meeting in Jeddah,” he said, reiterating India’s commitment to actively participate in such initiatives and to support the search for a mutually acceptable solution
New Delhi has been consistently engaging with both Russia and Ukraine at the highest diplomatic levels since the outset of the conflict, Doval highlighted.
“While numerous peace proposals have been put forward, none have garnered full acceptance from both parties. Therefore, a pivotal question that necessitates addressing during the meeting is whether a solution that satisfies all relevant stakeholders can be achieved,” Doval said, reaffirming India’s dedication to the pursuit of peace through dialogue and diplomacy. He added that India supports the global order based on principles enshrined in UN Charter and international law.
India’s participation in the Jeddah summit, which was attended by around 40 nations, including China, “is in consonance with our long-standing position that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told reporters last week. New Delhi has participated in a similar meeting in Copenhagen in June, where it was represented by MEA’s Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma. Both meetings did not involve Russia.
However, unlike in Copenhagen, Kiev has reportedly shifted its stance and was no longer pushing its peace formula that calls for Russia’s complete withdrawal from Ukraine within its 1991 borders. Moscow had deemed this approach unattainable.
India was one of the four members of the BRICS group of nations to take part in the Saudi-hosted peace talks, and Moscow said it will discuss the outcome of the consultations with its BRICS partners.
