(VOVWORLD) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed India’s readiness to play an active role in all efforts towards peace in Ukraine as he had talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Friday.
 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit online on August 17, 2024. (Photo: ANI/VNA)
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This was the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the two countries established diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago.
During the talks, the Indian leader reiterated India's stance that the conflict in Ukraine can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
"We (India) have chosen the side of peace. We come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war," Modi said in his opening remarks during the talks.
President Zelensky called for increased trade and military cooperation between Ukraine and India. According to Indian TV, the two countries signed four agreements on humanitarian assistance, agriculture, medicine and culture.
A few weeks earlier, Prime Minister Modi made his first visit to Russia in five years and his first official foreign trip after being sworn in for a new term.
Analysts believe that Modi's visits to Russia and Ukraine could boost New Delhi's role as a potential mediator to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict.