Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 20 evening on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, official sources have said.
The indication of the meeting came soon after Mr. Modi left for Japan starting a three-nation tour that will include Papua New Guinea and Australia apart from meetings in Hiroshima. In a separate pre-departure statement, Mr. Modi thanked members of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) who will participate in the forum’s third summit in Papua New Guinea on May 22.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Mr. Modi said that he would “amplify the voices and concerns of the Global South” at the G7 meetings, adding that he would highlight challenges in the areas of digital technology, supply chains and energy. “I will emphasise India’s role as a reliable partner in addressing these challenges,” the Prime Minister said.
Ukraine crisis
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had informed on Thursday that Mr. Modi would hold a number of bilateral meetings during his stay in Hiroshima where his formal engagements will begin from Saturday morning. The summit which got under way on Friday is likely to be dominated by the crisis in Ukraine especially as Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to reach Hiroshima. When asked about a bilateral meeting between Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Modi, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told The Hindu that the meeting was “under process”. Official sources however informed The Hindu that the meeting was now scheduled for Saturday evening ahead of the meeting of the Quad member-states.
Mr. Modi has maintained since the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Samarkand last September that there has to be a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. In his interview to Nikkei Asia, Mr. Modi reiterated his position and said, “India stands on the side of peace, and will remain firmly there. We are committed to supporting those who face challenges in meeting their basic needs, especially in the face of rising costs of food, fuel and fertilisers. Cooperation and collaboration should define our times, not conflict.”
Mr. Modi and Mr. Zelensky met in Glasgow on the sidelines of the COP26 meeting on November 2, 2021. He got on the phone with Mr. Zelensky to discuss the situation in Ukraine on multiple occasions after Russian President Vladimir Putin started the “special military campaign” against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova visited here in April and urged India to “balance” relationship by reaching out to Ukraine.
Mr. Kwatra had described India’s participation in the G7 deliberations as significant because of the ongoing Indian Presidency of G20 which will meet here in September. Mr. Modi’s focus on strengthening the voice of the Global South at the G7 is significant given the Indian position at the G20 which takes note of the impact that the war in Ukraine has had on food, fuel and fertilisers requirement of the countries of developing parts of the world. It is understood that during the engagements in Hiroshima, the G7 members will try to increase pressure on India to align itself more closely with the Western countries.
Mr. Modi is expected to participate in the meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) on the sidelines of the G7. The summit was earlier scheduled to be held in Sydney but was cancelled after U.S. President Joe Biden called off the Australian leg of his tour. Sources have informed that the leaders of the four Quad countries will meet around 8 p.m. on Saturday.
