New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will be on an official visit to Ukraine and Poland from September 3-5.
During his visit, EAM Jaishankar will hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha and Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
“The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations and also provide an opportunity to exchange views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned in a statement.
EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Ukraine and Poland comes after his telephonic conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on August 26.
During the call, Andrii Sybiha briefed EAM Jaishankar on the situation in the Black Sea and discussed ways to restore freedom of navigation in the area.
The conversation between the two ministers took place as Black Sea has escalated into a highly volatile economic and military choke point. Both Russia and Ukraine have been launching intensive, daily attacks on each other’s commercial shipping, port infrastructure, and energy pipelines.
In a post on X, Sybiha said, “I had a phone call with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. I briefed him on the difficult situation in the Black Sea as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and intensified attacks on our ports and maritime routes.”
He said that the attacks on the ships in the Black Sea not only affect Ukrainian food exports but also pose a direct threat to millions of families worldwide.
“I underscored that Russia’s attempts to disrupt Ukrainian food exports pose a direct threat to global food security, reaching far beyond our region and putting millions of families worldwide at risk,” Sybiha said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister mentioned that both sides discussed ways to “restore and secure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea”.
“We also spoke about the development of Ukraine–India bilateral cooperation and ways to advance our mutually beneficial agenda. We coordinated our upcoming contacts and agreed to remain in close touch,” Sybiha added.
EAM Jaishankar said that he appreciated the conversation with Sybiha and reaffirmed India’s stance on dialogue and diplomacy.
“Appreciate the conversation this evening with Ukraine FM Andrii Sybiha. Our discussion focused on the resumption of commerce in the Black Sea, ensuring the safety and security of all seafarers and commercial shipping. India remains a steadfast advocate of dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.
–IANS
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