Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv.
new Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual meeting of the Quad leaders today “emphasized the need to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy” to move forward in the Ukraine crisis, a statement from his office said. In his remarks, PM Modi also reiterated the importance of adhering to the United Nations Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukraine was one of the key issues discussed at the meeting, which was also attended by US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
A joint readout issued after the meeting said that the Quad leaders, assessing the “wider impact” of the conflict, “agreed to put in place a new humanitarian aid and disaster relief mechanism that will help the Quad reach the Indo-Pacific.” will enable them to meet future humanitarian challenges and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine”.
On the eighth day of the invasion, Ukraine and Russia began their second round of talks and agreed to establish evacuation corridors for civilians.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities, going for air strikes as its ground forces wait miles from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Many other cities, including Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv, are also under attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the military advance was going as planned.
At the Quad meeting today, PM Modi also underlined the need to focus on the Quad’s main objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement from his office read.
The meeting reviewed progress on the Quad Initiative since the September 2021 summit and the leaders agreed to accelerate cooperation aimed at achieving concrete results by the summit in Japan later this year.
PM Modi called for “concrete and pragmatic forms of cooperation within the Quad in areas such as humanitarian and disaster relief, credit sustainability, supply chain, clean energy, connectivity and capacity building,” read the statement from his office.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the leaders also discussed other issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands.
It said the prime minister reiterated the importance of adhering to the United Nations Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.