India, France condemn civilian deaths, call for diplomacy to stop Ukraine war
Paris, May 5 (EFE).- France and India have condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to give diplomacy a chance to end the war.
A joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday night at the Elysee Palace.
“France reiterates its strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian forces,” the statement said, notably leaving India out from the paragraph that particularly mentions Russia.
India has refrained from explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb.24. But it has, on many occasions, called for an immediate end to violence.
“India and France expressed serious concern at the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” the statement said.
“They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to bring parties together to promote dialogue and diplomacy to find an immediate end to the suffering of the people,” said the statement.
The statement said Modi and Macron discussed the regional and global implications of the Ukraine conflict and agreed to intensify coordination on the issue.
Modi’s visit to the French capital concluded his three-day European tour which took him to Germany where he met chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Denmark to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The two sides expressed “deep concern” over aggravating global food security and nutrition crisis, pledging to coordinate multilateral response to address it amid the problem due to the conflict in Ukraine – one of the main wheat suppliers.
Elysee sources had said one of Macron’s objectives to meet Modi was to address India’s energy dependency on Russia, giving it an alternative source to purchase arms so that New Delhi joins the global chorus to impose sanctions on Russia.
“We cannot put them in a dead end, we have to give them solutions,” an Elysée source said, referring to India’s weapons weapons purchase and energy supply.
Macron and Modi also spoke about the situation in the Indo-Pacific, over which they built one a strategic partnership “for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region” where China has flexed its military muscles, claiming sovereignty over the waters of South China Sea and threatening global commerce.
The statement said France and India share a vision of “a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, based on commitment to international law, respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and a region free from coercion, tensions and conflicts.” EFE
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