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NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi left for Germany on Monday where he will chair the India-Germany inter-governmental consultations along with Chancellor Olaf Scholz before flying to Copenhagen for a summit with the leaders of the Nordic nations. On his way back, he will drop by in Paris for a meeting with “friend” Emmanuel Macron who just won a second term as president.
“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,” the PM said.
On Ukraine, ahead of Modi’s departure, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra reiterated India’s position — cessation of violence and return to dialogue and diplomacy. Even as ties with Ukraine have come under strain because of India’s reluctance to openly condemn Russia’s actions, Kwatra said there was “deep appreciation” of India’s position.
“Insofar as India’s position on Ukraine is concerned, it has been amplified, made clear, enunciated in great detail in multiple fora. And I’ll just single out a few key elements of it. One, we’ve always maintained that there should be cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, and two, the path to the resolution goes through diplomacy and dialogue,” said Kwatra, who took office earlier in the day. “I have no doubt in my mind our European partners are not just fully aware of our position but they also have a deep appreciation in favour of the government,” he added.
Modi said his visit to France will provide an opportunity to set the tone of the next phase of the India-France strategic partnership.
“President Macron and I will share assessments on various regional and global issues and will take stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation. It is my firm belief that two countries that share such similar vision and values for the global order, must work in close cooperation with each other,” he said.



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