Berlin:

Russia and Ukraine will have to resolve their conflict by negotiating off the battlefield and India is willing to advise them, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

Mr Jaishakar’s remarks came at a time when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is in Moscow for a crucial meeting of NSAs. Sources have said that Mr Doval is carrying a peace plan proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he will share with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Whether or not Russia and Ukraine accept India’s proposal is not known yet, but India has offered to help end the conflict. During his visit to Ukraine, PM Modi told President Volodymyr Zelensky that India is ever ready to play an “active role” in every effort to restore peace and he would like to contribute personally in ending the conflict.

PM Modi is perhaps one of the very few leaders who shares friendly ties with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky and was warmly welcomed by both leaders during his recent visits to both nations.

The foreign minister was speaking at the Annual Ambassadors’ Conference of the German Foreign Office in Berlin, a day after he held a “useful conversation” with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the margins of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers’ meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We don’t think this conflict is going to be resolved on the battlefield. At some stage, there’s going to be some negotiation. When there is a negotiation, the main parties – Russia and Ukraine – have to be at that negotiation,” Mr Jaishankar said.

He cited Prime Minister Modi’s visits to Russia and Ukraine and how the Indian leader had once told the Russian President that this was not “an era of war”. 

“We don’t think you’re going to get a solution out of the battlefield. If you want advice, we are always willing to give it,” Mr Jaishankar added.

The minister also spoke about Quad, which he said has been a successful experiment. Quad is a strategic security dialogue between India, United States, Australia and Japan.

“We have revived the Quad. It is a major diplomatic platform and India is committed to it,” he said.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that India is among the three countries he is constantly in touch over the Ukraine conflict and said they are sincerely making efforts to resolve it.

“If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that.” Mr Putin’s remarks came within two weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, where he held talks with President President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We respect our friends and partners, who, I believe, sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.

Last week, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told daily newspaper Izvestia that India could help in establishing a dialogue on Ukraine.

He spoke about the “highly constructive, even friendly relations” between PM Modi and President Putin and added the Indian leader can “lead the line on getting first-hand information from the participants in this conflict,” as he “freely communicates with Putin, Zelensky and the Americans.”

“This gives a great opportunity for India to throw its weight in world affairs, to use its influence that would drive the Americans and Ukrainians towards using a greater political will and entering the peaceful settlement track,” Mr Peskov said, adding that there are “no specific plans” for PM Modi to mediate on the issue.

PM Modi, on his visit to Ukraine last month, told President Volodymyr Zelensky that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an “active role” to restore peace in the region.

Mr Jaishankar also talked about India’s relations with China at the conference in Berlin, saying that India is not “closed to business from China”, but the issue is in which sectors the country does business with Beijing and on what terms.

Berlin:

Russia and Ukraine will have to resolve their conflict by negotiating off the battlefield and India is willing to advise them, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

Mr Jaishakar’s remarks came at a time when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is in Moscow for a crucial meeting of NSAs. Sources have said that Mr Doval is carrying a peace plan proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he will share with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Whether or not Russia and Ukraine accept India’s proposal is not known yet, but India has offered to help end the conflict. During his visit to Ukraine, PM Modi told President Volodymyr Zelensky that India is ever ready to play an “active role” in every effort to restore peace and he would like to contribute personally in ending the conflict.

PM Modi is perhaps one of the very few leaders who shares friendly ties with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky and was warmly welcomed by both leaders during his recent visits to both nations.

The foreign minister was speaking at the Annual Ambassadors’ Conference of the German Foreign Office in Berlin, a day after he held a “useful conversation” with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the margins of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers’ meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We don’t think this conflict is going to be resolved on the battlefield. At some stage, there’s going to be some negotiation. When there is a negotiation, the main parties – Russia and Ukraine – have to be at that negotiation,” Mr Jaishankar said.

He cited Prime Minister Modi’s visits to Russia and Ukraine and how the Indian leader had once told the Russian President that this was not “an era of war”. 

“We don’t think you’re going to get a solution out of the battlefield. If you want advice, we are always willing to give it,” Mr Jaishankar added.

The minister also spoke about Quad, which he said has been a successful experiment. Quad is a strategic security dialogue between India, United States, Australia and Japan.

“We have revived the Quad. It is a major diplomatic platform and India is committed to it,” he said.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that India is among the three countries he is constantly in touch over the Ukraine conflict and said they are sincerely making efforts to resolve it.

“If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that.” Mr Putin’s remarks came within two weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, where he held talks with President President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We respect our friends and partners, who, I believe, sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.

Last week, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told daily newspaper Izvestia that India could help in establishing a dialogue on Ukraine.

He spoke about the “highly constructive, even friendly relations” between PM Modi and President Putin and added the Indian leader can “lead the line on getting first-hand information from the participants in this conflict,” as he “freely communicates with Putin, Zelensky and the Americans.”

“This gives a great opportunity for India to throw its weight in world affairs, to use its influence that would drive the Americans and Ukrainians towards using a greater political will and entering the peaceful settlement track,” Mr Peskov said, adding that there are “no specific plans” for PM Modi to mediate on the issue.

PM Modi, on his visit to Ukraine last month, told President Volodymyr Zelensky that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an “active role” to restore peace in the region.

Mr Jaishankar also talked about India’s relations with China at the conference in Berlin, saying that India is not “closed to business from China”, but the issue is in which sectors the country does business with Beijing and on what terms.

New Delhi:

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be travelling to Moscow this week to hold discussions aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sources have said. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine and met its President Volodymyr Zelensky and also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone.

Shortly after his trip to Ukraine, the Prime Minister had spoken to President Putin over the phone and stressed his commitment to work towards an end to the conflict.

Colombo:

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrived here on Thursday to attend the Colombo Security Conclave to be held on Friday.

Officials said the Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) is due to make a call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Conclave with its Colombo Secretariat brings together National Security Advisors and Deputy NSA’s from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius.

Bangladesh and the Seychelles have observer status at the Conclave.

The conclave deals with maritime security counter-terrorism and cyber security with India bringing to the fore its own strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held a phone conversation on Friday with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan amid some indication of unease in India-US ties following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Mr Doval and Sullivan reiterated the need to work “collectively” to address global challenges to peace and security and further expand the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

It said the two national security advisors agreed to work closely to further advance India-US relations, which are “built on shared values and common strategic and security interests”.

“They discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral, regional and international concern and forthcoming high-level engagements under the Quad framework to be held in July 2024 and later in the year,” the MEA said in a statement.

The phone conversation between the NSAs came a day after US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti appeared to be critical of India’s ties with Russia.

Garcetti, speaking at an event in Delhi on Thursday, said India and the US must uphold democratic principles when other countries go against the rules-based order.

“I know…and I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy. But in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other. I don’t care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends, brothers and sisters, colleagues,” Garcetti said without making any reference to Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Moscow this week.

In an apparent reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US envoy said “no war is distant anymore”.

“No war is distant anymore and we must not just stand for peace, we must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules, that their war machines cannot continue unabated,” he said.

Garcetti also underlined the importance of maintaining the sanctity of borders.

“I don’t have to remind India how important borders are..That when we stand on those principles and stand together, we can show that principles are the guiding light of peace in our world and together the world’s two largest democracies can enhance the security and the stability of our region,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NASA chief Bill Nelson.
| Photo Credit: AP

NASA administrator Bill Nelson has said that the U.S. space agency will expand collaboration with India and it will include a “joint effort” aboard the International Space Station with an Indian astronaut.

Mr. Nelson’s comments came after a fact sheet issued by the U.S. and India after the iCET Dialogue between U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on June 17 said they were working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts in the U.S.

“Building on my visit to India last year, NASA continues to further the United States and India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology for the benefit of humanity. Together we are expanding our countries’ collaboration in space, to include a joint effort aboard the International Space Station with an ISRO astronaut,” Mr. Nelson, wrote on X on June 19.

“While specific details about the mission are still in work, these efforts will support future human spaceflight and improve life here on Earth,” Mr. Nelson said.

In New Delhi, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Doval on June 17 said they concluded the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and are working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Centre.

The two leaders exchanged views on securing a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronauts at the International Space Station, which will mark a significant milestone in the India-U.S. space partnership and space exploration.

They also noted that the space agencies of the two countries are preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite that will map the entirety of the Earth’s surface twice every 12 days as part of efforts to combat climate change and other global challenges together.

The meeting between Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Doval also concluded that India and the U.S. must remain at the forefront of developing critical technologies as part of a larger strategic interest.

Mr. Doval and his counterpart also unveiled a raft of transformative initiatives to deepen India-U.S. cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductor, critical minerals, advanced telecommunication and defence space.

The iCET was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden in May 2022 to forge greater collaboration between India and the U.S. in areas of critical technologies.

Mr. Sullivan visited Delhi from June 17 to 18, the first trip to India by a senior Biden Administration official after the Modi government came to power for the third term.

The U.S. National Security Adviser was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior U.S. government officials and industry leaders.

New Delhi:

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan on Monday attended the annual meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between the two countries.

The delegation-level talks were held in the national capital. This is the second iCET meeting between the two countries and is being held over two days on June 17 and 18. The first meeting was held in the United States in January last year.

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in May 2022 to elevate and expand the bilateral strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of the two countries.

The United States and India had affirmed that the ways in which technology is designed, developed, governed, and used should be shaped by “our shared democratic values and respect for universal human rights”.

The two countries also said that they are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, “based on mutual trust and confidence, that will reinforce our democratic values and democratic institutions”.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Jake Sullivan and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues.

Mr Jaishankar expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between India and the US will continue to advance strongly in the near term.

“Delighted to welcome US NSA Jake Sullivan in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term,” Mr Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning.

A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term.

pic.twitter.com/daqbE466bF

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 17, 2024

Jake Sullivan, who is in India along with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and other top officials, will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is the first visit of a senior US official after the Modi government came to power for a third term.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with his United Kingdom counterpart, Tim Barrow, on Thursday for the India-UK Strategic Dialogue.

During this meeting, the two top sides held discussions on the “Technology and Security Initiative, which will be a major bilateral mechanism to strengthen cooperation in critical and emerging technologies between the two countries”, government officials said.

They also discussed bilateral issues and regional and global matters of mutual interest.

“This visit will strengthen and further broaden the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries,” said government officials.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with NSA Tim Barrow in Delhi and discussed regional and global issues of importance. Jaishankar and Barrow reviewed the progress in bilateral ties.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, “Good to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow today in Delhi. Discussed a range of regional and global issues of importance. Also reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties.”

On May 7, a 21-member delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies began their India visit by laying a wreath to pay their homage at the war memorial in New Delhi.

The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is a British military staff college that trains senior officers from the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, and Diplomatic Service in international security and national defence.

The college’s goal is to develop strategic thinkers and leaders who can work at the strategic level in a cross-government and international environment.

The delegation of the UK-based academy is on an India visit and will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour.

Sharing details regarding the visit, UK Defence Adviser in India, Brigadier Nick Sawyer stated, “A delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies today began their India visit by visiting the @salute2soldier in New Delhi and laying a wreath to pay their homage to the fallen soldiers. The 21-member cohort will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour.”

Notably, the ties between India and the UK are bound by strong ties of history and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK’s then-PM Boris Johnson agreed to the India-UK ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and India-UK Roadmap 2030 to steer cooperation for the next 30 years.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Terrorism continues to constitute one of the most serious threats to international peace and regardless of its motivation or cause, the menace is “unjustifiable”, NSA Ajit Doval said on Tuesday. In an address at a conclave of NSAs of India and central Asian countries in Kazakhstan, he also offered fully funded capacity building programmes by New Delhi in a wide range of areas to the participating nations.

The National Security Advisor also said that India is ready to provide the central Asian nations with the technology relating to the United Payment Interface (UPI) free of cost for their independent use. He said that setting up of sovereign digital payment systems will greatly enhance commercial linkages between India and Central Asia and benefit people who may have to travel to India for medical treatment, according to sources. 

The NSA said connectivity and economic integration with the Central Asian countries is a key priority for India. However, while promoting connectivity, it is important to ensure that connectivity initiatives are consultative, transparent, and participatory, he said.

Mr Doval said connectivity initiatives should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and that they should also adhere to environmental parameters, ensure financial viability, and not become debt burdens.

The remarks came amid increasing criticism of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In this context, the absence of direct land access between Central Asia and India is an anomaly, he observed.

This absence of direct connectivity is the result of a conscious policy of denial by a particular country, he said in comments seen as an indirect reference to Pakistan.

Mr Doval said this situation is not only self-defeating for this country but it also reduces the collective well-being of the entire region.

He also underlined the advantages of including the Chabahar port in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Mr Doval invited Central Asian neighbours to utilize the Chabahar port as well as its Shaheed Bahesti terminal, being operated by an Indian company, for maritime trade. He solicited support for including Chabahar port within the framework of INSTC.   Both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will be joining the INSTC soon. With this, all five Central Asian countries will be a member of the INSTC.

The first meeting of NSAs and Secretaries of Security Councils of India and Central Asian nations was held on December 6 last year in New Delhi. Mr Doval also noted that the situation in Afghanistan remains a “cause of concern”.

Our common immediate priorities include providing humanitarian assistance, ensuring the formation of a truly inclusive and representative government combating terrorism and drug trafficking, and preserving the rights of women, children, and them minorities, he said.

India is deeply involved in the humanitarian assistance being provided to the Afghan people, he said.

In line with India’s approach to encourage sports in Afghanistan, the Afghan cricket team is in India to play in the ICC World Cup, Mr Doval said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)