Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for dialogue to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict while asserting that no country can emerge victorious in the war. Addressing a joint press meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Modi said India is concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
“Due to the disturbance caused by the Ukraine crisis, oil prices are sky rocketing, there is a shortage of food grains and fertilizers as a result of which every family in the world has been burdened,” he said.
The prime minister said both India and Germany share several common values and have made significant progress in their relations over the last few years.
“Since our last Inter-Governmental Consultations in 2019, several important changes have taken place in the world. Recent geopolitical incidents have shown that world peace and stability is in critical condition and showed how all countries are interconnected,” he said.
Modi also noted that India is committed to quick progress in free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union.
Earlier, the prime minister held a bilateral meeting with Scholz prior to the sixth round of Biennial Inter Governmental Consultations (IGC) between India and Germany.
After the meet, Modi said that among democratic nations, India, Germany share several common values and the holding of the Inter-Governmental Consultations shows how much importance the two countries place in their strategic ties.
“I had wide-ranging discussions with Chancellor Scholz. Today’s talks covered trade, commerce, innovation, culture and people-to-people linkages. India and Germany are working together on several subjects. This partnership will benefit our entire planet,” he said in a tweet.
“Delighted that the first Inter-Governmental Consultations of this Govt took place with Indian Govt. To me it’s a sign of the spl quality of our relationship…I invited you as our guest to G7 Summit end of June & we look forward to welcoming you back to Germany,” Chancellor Scholz said.
“Through its attack on Ukraine, Russia has violated fundamental principles of international law. The war & the brutal attacks against civilian population in Ukraine show how unrestrained Russia has been in violating the fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” he added.
Modi arrived in Berlin on the first leg of his three-nation Europe trip that will also take him to Denmark and France.
The colours and diversity of India were on display at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate as the Indian community gave a rousing welcome to the prime minister. The diaspora organised dance and other cultural programmes to greet Modi.
