Russia-Ukraine war: Mexico proposes international peace panel that includes PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit earlier this month.

TN National Desk

Updated Sep 23, 2022, 03:10 IST

Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard

Photo : AP

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

"Today's era is not an era of war. We have discussed this with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world," PM Modi told Putin
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: "Politics should never ever provide cover to evade accountability. Nor indeed to facilitate impunity"
Jaishankar said India supported an independent probe into the killings in Bucha, a Ukrainian city where more than 400 bodies were found after Russian troops withdrew in April

New York: To end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Mexico formally proposed on Thursday that a peace committee be formed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, a panel for dialogue and peace in Ukraine should be established with PM Modi, Pope Francis, and other leaders to bolster the mediation efforts of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"The objective would be very clear, generating new mechanisms for dialogue and creating additional spaces for mediation, which foster trust, reduce tension and open the path towards lasting peace", said Ebrard at the Security Council's briefing regarding impunity in Ukraine.

Ebrard presented to the Council the proposal put forth by Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in his Independence Day speech on Friday.

In his speech, Obrador stated that the panel with PM Modi and Francis "should immediately seek a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and the start of direct talks" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Since Russia has a veto in the Security Council, the UNSC and the international community have failed to find a way to end the invasion.

A sort of neutrality has been maintained by India in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, abstaining on substantive votes in the UNSC and General Assembly condemning Moscow.

While New Delhi has close historic ties with Moscow, it has consistently called for an end to the war.

A stern message against the invasion was delivered to Putin by PM Modi last week.

"Today's era is not an era of war. We have discussed this with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world," Narendra Modi told Putin during their meeting in Uzbekistan city Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

After Ebrard, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke at the Council and reiterated New Delhi's call for an end to the conflict and a return to dialogue.

Notably, Pope Francis has unequivocally condemned Russia.

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