India’s position on sanctions against Russia hasn’t changed “one bit”, asserted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), speaking about the likelihood of renewed requests from European countries for India to join the sanctions imposed by Western countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s European tour next week. The visit to Germany, and Denmark for the Nordic Summit, and France, from May 2-4, where Mr. Modi will meet with leaders of at least seven European countries, is the Prime Minister’s first visit abroad in 2022, the MEA said on Thursday, and while “topical issues” like Ukraine would be discussed, the government expects to see more substantive bilateral subjects on the agenda for talks.
“We have a new Chancellor [Olaf Scholz] there...this will be the first interaction with him,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a briefing on Thursday, adding that the PM’s attendance at the second Nordic Summit would give relations with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden a more “structured format”, and the visit to France will make Mr. Modi one of the earliest foreign visitors after President Emanuel Macron’s re-election there.
Ahead of the PM’s meetings in Berlin, the German Ambassador said that strengthening ties between democracies is important in times of “turmoil and crisis”, without referring directly to the Ukraine conflict.
