External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar engaged in a significant dialogue with Andrii Sybiha, the newly appointed Foreign Minister of Ukraine, on Thursday. This conversation marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing diplomatic relations between India and Ukraine.
Jaishankar extended his congratulations to Sybiha on his new role, expressing eagerness to collaborate closely with him. In his message on the social media platform X, Jaishankar conveyed, “Spoke with the new Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha today. Congratulated him on his appointment. Look forward to working with him.”
Sybiha, in his response, emphasised the importance of building on the recent high-level engagements between the two nations. He expressed his intention to advance the discussions initiated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Kyiv.
In his post on X, Sybiha stated, “I spoke with S Jaishankar to build on Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Kyiv and talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We agreed to take our bilateral relations forward in all promising areas of cooperation. We exchanged views ahead of UNGA and coordinated next steps in political dialogue.”
The timing of this conversation is notable, coming just before Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit to the United States. During this trip, Modi is set to meet with leaders of the Quad, including US President Joe Biden, on September 21.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, when queried about the possibility of a meeting between Modi and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy during the US visit, indicated that no specific request had been made at that moment.
He noted, “I’m not aware of a request at this particular time, in so far as these bilateral meetings are concerned. As I said, we are still finalising the exact agenda of the bilateral meetings.”
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kyiv on August 23 was marked by the signing of several important agreements. The documents signed included cooperation agreements in agriculture, food industry, and medical product regulation, as well as humanitarian grant assistance and a cultural cooperation programme. These agreements reflect the growing partnership between India and Ukraine, focusing on diverse sectors and mutual interests.
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