Need quiet diplomacy on Ukraine: India at UN

NEW DELHI: Russia on Friday welcomed India’s position on

Ukraine

calling it “balanced, principled and independent approach”. The tweet by Russian embassy here followed another statement by India at the UN Security Council on Thursday in which it reiterated its call for quiet and constructive diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine crisis.


India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador

T S Tirumurti

, on Thursday said New Delhi’s interest is in finding a solution that provides for “immediate deescalation of tensions”. “Any steps that increase tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security. Quiet and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour,” he said, speaking in a UNSC meeting on the Ukraine situation.

Tirumurti said India “has been in touch with all parties concerned. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue”.

“India’s interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said. Amid the heightened concerns of a Russian attack on Ukraine, Tirumurti told the Council that more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas.

“The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us,” he said. India reiterated its call for the “peaceful resolution of the situation by sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts to ensure that concerns of all sides are amica- bly resolved through constructive dialogue”.
Tirumurti said India welcomes the efforts under way for implementation of the ‘Minsk Agreements’, including through the Trilateral Contact Group and under the Normandy format. “We believe the ‘Minsk Agreements’ provide a basis for a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the situation in Eastern Ukraine. . . we urge all parties to continue to engage through all possible diplomatic channels. . . ,” he said.