New Delhi, March 21 : The Ukraine issue was discussed at the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian PM Scott Morrison today, and both leaders referred to the virtual Quad summit held earlier this month and “had a fairly clear perspective that the situation in Ukraine should not impact on the focus and priority on the Indo-Pacific”. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, briefing media on the summit meeting today, said the China issue was also discussed and both sides gave their perspective on it. “The two leaders exchanged views on important topical areas relating to the region and beyond, obviously the Ukraine issue was discussed as was China,” he said. “On Ukraine it was clear that the two sides had referred to the Quad summit in which the leaders had a fairly clear perspective that the situation in Ukraine should not impact on the Indo-Pacific and that the focus and priority on the Indo-Pacific should continue to remain as they were.” “Prime Minister Morrison was quite clear that the Quad focus was on the Indo-Pacific and that he had made it clear at the Quad and has continued to emphasise that issue during the discussion with us. “He also expressed understanding of India’s position on the issue of Ukraine, that he felt reflected our own situation, our own considerations. As far as the overall discussion on Ukraine was concerned, that there was a serious concern about the ongoing conflict and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and both leaders clearly spoke about the need for a cessation of hostilities and violence. “There was equal emphasis on the fact that the international order stands on the UN charter, on the rule of law and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. Both clearly emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the situation and the humanitarian assistance to Ukraine was clearly spoken about.” “There was a clear sense of both sides understood where they came from and a great deal of comfort that both of us saw the fact that the conflict in Europe should not be a reason for us to divert attention from the Indo-Pacific region and the concern in the Quad was on similar lines,” he said. On China, the two leaders exchanged perspective. PM Modi “did refer to the Line of Actual Control and the Ladakh incidents and emphasized that peace and tranquility in the border was an essential pre-requisite for normalisation of ties with China.” “PM Morrison also gave a fairly detailed view of how he saw China and its actions in the region and specially in the South China Sea.” Australian PM Scott Morrison, in his opening remarks at the virtual summit today, dwelt on the Ukraine issue at length. He said: “Our meeting today is, of course, set against the very distressing backdrop of the war in Europe, which must never happen in our own region, and I very much want to thank you for the partnership that we have. While we are obviously distressed at the terrible situation in Europe, our focus, of course, is always very much on what is occurring in the Indo-Pacific and ensuring that those events could never occur here in the Indo-Pacific. “Our region is facing increasing change and much pressure, and I think our Quad Leaders’ call recently, which gave us the opport ty to discuss Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, but it also gave us the opport ty to discuss the implications and consequences of that terrible event for our own region in the Indo-Pacific and the coercion and the issues that we face here. “The tragic loss of life underlies the importance, of course, of holding Russia to account. But cooperation between like-minded liberal democracies is key to an open and inclusive and resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and I welcome your leadership within the Quad to keeping us focused on those important issues.” RN