CALLING for an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged Russian PresidentVladimir Putin to move from “endless war to the end of war,” asserting that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is humanity’s shared priority. In a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in this capital city of Kyrgyzstan, Modi said every day of war sets the humanity back and that India, the land of Gandhi and Buddha, supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so. The two leaders also extensively deliberated on ongoing cooperation in areas of trade and investment and energy and fertiliser security among others. “We have been discussing Ukraine issue.When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so,” Modi said in his televised opening remarks at the meeting. “Every day of war sets the humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills the humanity with new hope and enthusiasm.

 

We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war,” he said. “This is crucial for the wellbeing of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message. The land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace,” Modi said. The talks came over a week before Putin travels to India to attend the annual BRICS summit. The prime minister also made a mention of the Russian President’s visit to New Delhi last year. “Your visit to India last year was highly successful and truly memorable. It is a matter of deep satisfaction for us that our cooperation continues to scale new heights and that we are working together for the welfare of the people of both nations,” Modi said. “Focusing on national interest as the paramount priority has been our shared approach, and this will remain our guiding principle in the future as well.” Putin, on his part, said Russia-India relations have witnessed an upswing on the basis of the special and privileged partnership.