Zelenskyy and Indian PM agree on military-technical cooperation group meeting

Agreements on political relations

During the meeting, both leaders expressed mutual interest in elevating bilateral relations from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership in the future.

Officials reaffirmed their commitment to further developing bilateral ties for the benefit of both nations' peoples, based on mutual trust, respect, and openness.

Moreover, Zelenskyy and Modi highlighted the stable and positive trajectory of bilateral relations, aimed at strengthening mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation.

Ensuring lasting peace

Officials reaffirmed their readiness to continue cooperating in upholding the principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and state sovereignty. They agreed on the need for closer bilateral dialogue on this issue.

The Indian side reaffirmed its principled position and focus on peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, in which India participated in the Peace Summit. Zelenskyy welcomed India's participation and emphasized the importance of high-level Indian participation in the upcoming Peace Summit.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian side stressed that the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework, adopted at the Peace Summit, could serve as a basis for further efforts to establish a just peace through dialogue, diplomacy, and international law.

The leaders of Ukraine and India also appreciated efforts to ensure global food security, particularly Ukraine's humanitarian grain initiative. The importance of uninterrupted and unhindered supply of agricultural products to global markets, especially in Asia and Africa, was emphasized.

Economic, scientific, and technical cooperation

Modi and Zelenskyy discussed strengthening cooperation in areas such as:

• Trade and commerce
• Agriculture
• Pharmaceuticals
• Defense
• Education
• Science and technology
• Culture
• Digital public service infrastructure
• Industry
• Manufacturing
• Green energy

Both leaders stressed the importance of the Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Indian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, Industrial, and Cultural Cooperation in promoting a forward-looking and stronger economic partnership between the two countries.

Officials also emphasized the importance of simplifying business conditions for mutual economic activities and investments, along with removing any obstacles to expanding trade and commerce between Ukraine and India.

Defense cooperation

Emphasizing the importance of defense cooperation between India and Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Modi agreed to continue working on strengthening relations between the defense establishments of both countries, including through cooperation and partnerships in Indian manufacturing and collaboration in new sectors.

Specifically, the parties agreed to hold the 2nd meeting of the Indian-Ukrainian Joint Working Group on Military-Technical Cooperation, established under the 2012 Defense Cooperation Agreement, in the near future in India.

Cultural and people-to-people ties

Recognizing the key role that cultural and people-to-people ties play in the strong friendship between Ukraine and India, the parties welcomed the signing of a bilateral Programme of Cultural Cooperation and the decision to hold cultural festivals in both Ukraine and India.

The parties also agreed to explore the possibility of mutually opening branches of higher education institutions to meet the educational needs of citizens from both countries.

At the same time, both sides called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary global realities and to make it more representative, effective, and efficient in addressing international peace and security issues.

Ukraine reaffirmed its support for India's permanent membership in a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, the Indian side expressed hope for Ukraine's accession to the International Solar Alliance.

At the end of the visit, the Prime Minister of India thanked Zelenskyy for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation during the visit and invited him to visit India at a mutually convenient opportunity.

Modi's visit to Ukraine

For over a month, information has been circulating online that the Indian Prime Minister was planning to visit Ukraine.

Today, on August 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv. This is the first time in history that an Indian government head has visited Ukraine. His visit was just before Ukraine's Independence Day.

During the meeting with Modi, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and India had agreed on four cooperation documents between the countries.

For more details on the reason behind the Indian Prime Minister's visit and whether it could impact the war, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.