‘Increasingly anxious about…’: Jaishankar on effects of Russia-Ukraine war
Jaishankar, who arrived in Vienna from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour, made the remarks while delivering a joint statement after productive talks with Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg.
External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday underlined India's concern over the “knock-on effects” of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the Global South in terms of accessibility and affordability of food, fuel and fertilisers. Delivering a joint statement after his talks with Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna, Jaishankar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pressing the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to return to dialogue and diplomacy as a prolonged conflict will not serve the interests of any party.
"We sincerely believe that this is not the era of war. Differences must be settled on the negotiating table. It is imperative that there is a return to dialogue and diplomacy. Prolonged conflict will not serve the interests of any party. My Prime Minister has been in contact with the leaders of both nations, pressing our point of view," Jaishankar said.
"We are also increasingly anxious about the knock-on effects of the conflict in terms of accessibility and affordability of fuel food and fertilisers. This is a growing concern for the Global South," he added.
India has not yet criticised Russia's attack on Ukraine but has been repeatedly asking for an immediate cessation of hostilities from various forums, maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.
Jaishankar arrived in Vienna from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour. He said Austria is an important partner for India in the European Union at a time when it seeks to upgrade its relationship.
"We appreciate its strong support for the negotiations underway on the FTA, the investment agreement and the geographical indicators agreement. Their conclusion will obviously have a positive impact on our bilateral economic partnership as well," he said.
"Let me underline that we view Austria as a serious and consequential partner when it comes to bilateral cooperation. You have experiences and capabilities that are relevant to India's modernisation and progress," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
