Shehbaz Returns
Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as Pakistan’s Prime Minister for the second time, marking a return to a position he held until August when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today. The Prime minister told the visiting foreign dignitary that India is “ready to contribute in any way to peace efforts”.
PM Modi and the Russian Foreign Minister met for 40 minutes. This is for the first time in two weeks that the PM has met any foreign dignitary. The Prime Minister did not meet visiting Ministers in the past Including those from the UK, China, Austria, Greece and Mexico.
According to the press release from his office, PM Modi called for an end to violence as Lavrov briefed him on the situation in Ukraine, including pace negotiations.
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“Prime Minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence, and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts,” said the press statement.
It is for the first time that India has shown willingness to be part of any peace efforts to end the ongoing Ukraine war.
While talking to the media the visiting Russian foreign minister said, “India is an important and serious country. If India plays that role that provides resolution, India is our common partner… we are for the security guarantee of Ukraine… West has ignored its responsibility… India can support such process”.
Earlier in the day, Lavrov had said he wished to convey a “message personally” from President Vladimir Putin to PM Modi.
“The President (Putin) and the Prime Minister are in regular touch with each other and I will report to the President about my negotiations. He sends by the way his best regards to Prime Minister Modi and I would appreciate an opportunity to deliver this message personally,” the Russian Foreign Minister had said in his opening remarks at a discussion with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
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