New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday acknowledged India, along with other global south countries, for their ‘sincere’ commitment to coming up with realistic solutions to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
“We appreciate China, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, India, and other Global South countries’ sincere interest in promoting the quest for fair and realistic settlement avenues,” Lavrov said at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.
The Russian foreign minister highlighted, “It is critically important that the proposals coming from our friends in the developing world are based on a clear understanding of the true causes and nature of ongoing developments as fallout from the West’s efforts to undermine the principle of indivisibility and security.”
India, in particular, has emphasized the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomatic negotiations to address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov’s specific mention of India as a contributor to the pursuit of equitable resolutions serves as an indication of India’s growing influence on the global security stage.
During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had underlined the necessity of avoiding war.
Furthermore, New Delhi has demonstrated its commitment by extending humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Lavrov’s comments come ahead of the upcoming key BRICS and G20 summits.
While Putin will virtually attend the BRICS summit in South Africa’s Johannesburg, Foreign Minister Lavrov will represent Russia in person.
On the other hand, Russia has so far not made any official announcement regarding Putin’s in-person presence at the G20 summit, which is set to take place in New Delhi next month.
The ongoing conflict between the G7 countries and Russia and China continues to cast a shadow over the group of 20 most powerful economies.
Amid this, India’s role is seen as pivotal that can potentially influence the course of events.