India can play bridging role in Ukraine: Jaishankar

India and other countries can play a bridging role amid the divisions created between North-South over development following Ukraine-Russia war, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. 

“We have two big divides today. One you could say that the kind of East-West divide centring around grain, and one is the North-South divide centring around development and Ukraine is also having an impact on the development,” Jaishankar said while addressing the India Global Forum and panel discussion on India-UAE ties in Dubai. “I do believe a country like India can play that bridging role, not alone. I think UAE for example, can in a sense and has also been doing something so like some other countries. But there is a need today to bridge,” he added.

In the panel discussion, Diplomatic Advisor to UAE President, Anwar Mohammed Gargash joined Jaishankar and said that they also wanted to end the conflict in Ukraine quickly.  “I think we all want to see a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine and we all also believe that this conflict will not end except political process. I think in our interest to make sure that there is a political process that ends this conflict,” Gargash said during the discussion. 

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, India has consistently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the violence. India has called upon both sides to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and expressed its support for all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict