Conflicts & War

India, Japan urge immediate cease-fire in Ukraine

New Delhi, Mar 19 (EFE).- India and Japan want to see “an immediate cessation of violence” in Ukraine, the two governments said Saturday after talks here between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

In a statement, the two leaders “noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict” between Ukraine and Russia, which invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24.

Without mentioning Russia, Modi and Kishida “emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.”

The language of the statement can be seen as an attempt to reconcile the sharply divergent positions of Tokyo and New Delhi on the events in Ukraine.

While Japan has roundly condemned the Russian military campaign and joined Western nations in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, India is taking a neutral stance.

New Delhi and Moscow have a history of close cooperation on defense going back to the era of the Soviet Union and India also views Russia as a restraining influence on China when it comes to the often tense Sino-Indian relationship.

In the bilateral sphere, Kishida and Modi announced plans for 5 trillion yen ($40 billion) in Japanese investment and financing for India over the next five years, to be devoted to “appropriate public and private projects of mutual interest.”

During a joint press conference, Modi spoke of progress on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project and cited the initiative as “a great example of India-Japan partnership.” EFE

mt/dr

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