Ukrainian First Deputy FM to land in India on Sunday, likely to discuss global issues of mutual interest

Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova is arriving in India on Sunday on a four-day visit from April 9 to 12, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

During the visit, Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), MEA, where both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.

Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri.

India shares warm and friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine. Over the last 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in the areas of trade, education, culture and defence. The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests.

The visit is taking place at the time when the international community wants the Ukraine-Russia war to end as it is taking a huge toll on the global economy with the food and fuel crisis hitting the poor and vulnerable countries hard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his several telephonic conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently called for cessation of hostilities, and return to diplomacy and dialogue for finding a lasting peace.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand in September 2022, Prime Minister Modi held a meeting with Russian President Putin and during that meeting he conveyed that “today’s era is not of war.” This was echoed by the G-20 Leaders’ Declaration issued at the Bali Summit in November 2022.