New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday condemned the missile attacks by Russia on Ukraine during his visit to Australia, as reported by news agency PTI. Expressing concern over this action of Russia, the Indian Foreign Minister said that the Ukraine conflict does not serve anyone’s interests. Attacking infrastructure and causing civilian casualties is not acceptable in any part of the world, he said.
He stressed that “India is against such hostility as it can have a very deep impact on everyone across the world.” The Indian foreign minister’s remarks came a day after Moscow launched missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and several other cities.
“We really think that targeting infrastructure and causing civilian deaths is not acceptable in any part of the world,” Jaishankar said while responding to a question on Russia’s missile strikes targeting key cities across Ukraine on Monday, including the capital Kyiv which is being seen as the most intense attack since the conflict started on February 24.
Jaishankar emphasized the need to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict, saying “this conflict is not helping anybody at all.” He said, “this conflict is hurting a large part of the world today because the daily lives of the people are impacted in a very, very damaging manner. And these countries with whom we identify ourselves most of these countries and they are actually feeling frustrated because they feel that their problems are being neglected,” the minister said.
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Speaking in his address, Jaishankar discussed major challenges like coronavirus and climate change. He said that “we are currently grappling with the 3C challenges of Covid, conflict and climate change”.
India believes in the need to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine isn’t helping anyone, he added.
During the event at the Lowy Institute, the Minister also discussed the bilateral relations between India and Australia. He said, “I am the sixth minister of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to visit Australia after the Labor government has come to power. It tells about the seriousness we give to this relationship.”
(With PTI Inputs)