European nations key companions in India's quest for peace, prosperity: PM Modi

Ahead of his three-day, three-nation trip to Europe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the visit comes amid "many challenges and choices" that the region was facing, in an indication that the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on the world economy would figure in his agenda.

Modi is expected to emphasise India's approach, which focuses on dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward to end the war. The Prime Minister will make clear India's perspectives on Ukraine during his visit to Germany, France and Denmark, said Vinay Kwatra, who took over as India's foreign secretary on Sunday.

"My visit to Europe comes at a time when the region faces many challenges and choices. Through my engagements, I intend to strengthen the spirit of cooperation with our European partners, who are important companions in India's quest for peace and prosperity," Modi said in a pre-departure statement.


At a media briefing, Kwatra asserted that there should not be any doubt about India's position on Ukraine, underlining its "context, clarity, importance and positive dimension".

"Our position on Ukraine has been clear. First, there should be a cessation of hostilities; second, a solution must be found through dialogue and diplomacy," he said. This view, he added, had been conveyed clearly to various countries.

Kwatra said the visit is focused on expanding India's bilateral ties with the three European nations in a range of areas, including trade and investment, clean energy, digital technology and defence.

The Ukraine issue will figure in the talks as part of discussions on regional and global developments, he added.

India's international partners understand the country's standpoint on Ukraine, and they deeply appreciate it, he said.

Last week, divergences between India and the West on Russia became even at the Raisina Dialogue, India's premier conference on geopolitics and economics.

Jaishankar, in a sharp message to Europe in the context of its advice to India to take a position on the conflict, had said that New Delhi was advised to do more trade when the rules-based order (read China) was under challenge in Asia and that Europe should start looking at Asia, which has 'unsettled boundaries'.

Kwatra said energy security will be one of the key areas of discussion during Modi's visit as it has assumed greater significance in the current circumstances.

He referred to the "changing elements" of energy security, its impact on developing countries like India, the challenges in the sector and the mitigation of these challenges.

"I am sure this would constitute one of the elements in the overall discussions. But naturally one single item would not define what the structure of the discussions would be," he said.

Furthering business ties and connecting with the Indian diaspora will also be key elements in Modi's first foreign trip of the year.