Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister calls on India to join International Crimea Platform

Kyiv [Ukraine], July 14 (ANI): During the Ukrainian-Indian political consultations held in Kyiv on July 13, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova invited India to participate in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and called on Indian leaders to join the International Crimea Platform and participate in its third summit. 
The Crimea Platform is a new international consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine. It aims to increase the effectiveness of international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea and mounting security threats, respond to growing security threats, increase international pressure on the Kremlin, prevent further human rights violations and protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the main goal to deoccupy Crimea and its peaceful return to Ukraine. 
The Crimea Platform is a diplomatic summit initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August 2021 and the meeting was attended by delegations from 46 countries. 
"Both sides (Ukraine and India) exchanged views on a wide range of issues of bilateral relations, including security issues in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, global energy and food crises, cooperation within international organizations, humanitarian aid and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine," Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said in an official release on Thursday. 
Emine Dzhaparova further briefed India about the current situation in Ukraine and the international support of their in countering Russian aggression. 
Both countries also discussed the issue of intensification of trade and economic ties between Ukraine and India, the implementation of certain economic projects, and the development of cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.
Moroever, they further discussed "The issue of the proper functioning of the Ukraine-India Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural Cooperation and holding its meetings on a regular basis," the official statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine added. 
India and Ukraine also agreed to continue work on creating effective inter-parliamentary interaction between Ukraine and India. The agreements reached during political consultations proved the willingness of the both countries to intensify cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, the statement said. 
The 9th round of Ukrainian-Indian political consultations took place in Kyiv on July 13 with the participation of Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India Sanjay Verma and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova. 
Sanjay Verma arrived in Kyiv on July 12 to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest with his counterpart Emine Dzhaparova. 
Earlier in April, Emine Dzhaparova during her four-day visit to India said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy of democracy, dialogue and diversification is very important for Ukraine.She further said that India should be pragmatic in diversifying its energy resources, diversifying military contracts and in diversifying political interaction.
"As my President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, extraordinary times need extraordinary decisions. So of course, Prime Minister Modi with his 3D policy of democracy, dialogue and, to my knowledge, its diversity. I think that this no-era-of-war and strategic application is really, really important," she added."We hope that India and Ukraine will be…even though we are distant geographically, but we will become closer physically and politically and in many other ways," Dzhaparova added.
Moreover, the next round of political consultations was agreed to be held in New Delhi at a time convenient for both the countries, the statement added. (ANI)