Ukraine minister starts India visit tomorrow, to meet MoS Lekhi, senior officers

The MEA announced Dzhaparova’s visit to India in a statement on Saturday. “The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova will be on an official visit to India from April 9 to 12,” it said.

The MEA stated that Dzhaparova will hold talks with Verma, during which 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.

Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Prime Minister Modi has spoken with both Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on multiple occasions. In a phone conversation with Zelenskyy on October 4 last year, Modi had said there can be “no military solution”, and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.

India has not yet condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has maintained that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

The MEA said 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 ministry stated. “The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests.”