New Delhi, August 27: Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar over the phone, providing an update on the current situation in the Black Sea. They discussed ways to restore freedom of maritime navigation in the region.
This conversation comes at a time when the Black Sea has become a highly sensitive area both economically and militarily. Russia and Ukraine continue to launch intense attacks on each other’s commercial vessels, port infrastructure, and energy pipelines.
Sybiha stated in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, “I spoke with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. I informed him about the difficult situation in the Black Sea caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine and the increasing attacks on our ports and maritime routes.”
He emphasized that the attacks on vessels in the Black Sea not only affect Ukraine’s food exports but also pose a direct threat to millions of families worldwide.
Sybiha remarked, “I highlighted that Russia’s attempts to disrupt Ukraine’s food exports are a direct threat to global food security. The impact extends far beyond our region, putting millions of families at risk around the world.”
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister noted that both parties also discussed measures to “restore and ensure freedom of maritime navigation” in the Black Sea.
He added, “We talked about advancing bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and India and coordinated future contacts, agreeing to stay in continuous communication.”
Minister S. Jaishankar expressed appreciation for the conversation with Sybiha, reiterating India’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy.
He stated, “I appreciate the conversation with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha this evening. The main focus of our discussion was the restoration of commercial activities in the Black Sea and ensuring the safety of all sailors and commercial vessels. India has always been a strong supporter of dialogue and diplomacy.”
This development comes against the backdrop of recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. On August 25, Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed missile and drone strikes targeting three cargo ships and a tanker at the significant Pivdennyi port. Additionally, another cargo ship was attacked at the Odesa port.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Minister Jaishankar held detailed discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The two leaders addressed bilateral cooperation, regional tensions, global challenges, and multilateral issues.
Jaishankar shared insights about this conversation on ‘X’, noting that several important topics were discussed between the two leaders.
He wrote, “I had a comprehensive conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. We discussed bilateral cooperation, regional tension issues, global challenges, and multilateral matters.”
This dialogue between the foreign ministers of India and Russia occurs at a time when high-level communication on bilateral, regional, and international issues continues between the two nations.
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