INDIA said that it remains open to all ideas that could help achieve early restoration of peace in Ukraine. This week, the Switzerland government announced plans to host a high-level summit on Ukraine.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has been consistently pressing for resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.
The Swiss government on Wednesday (10) said it will host the international summit in June to help bring peace in Ukraine after more than two years of war.
“We have consistently maintained that we encourage a negotiated settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaiswal said when asked about the announcement by Switzerland.
“In this spirit, we have also participated in several mechanisms under Ukraine’s peace formula including the Copenhagen format,” he said.
“We remain open to exploring all ideas that could help achieve early restoration of peace,” Jaiswal said.
The conference is set to be held at Burgenstock resort near Luzern on June 15-16.
Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has put forward a 10-point “peace plan” for ending the conflict that included punishing those responsible for the war crimes, withdrawing all Russian troops from Ukraine, and restoring his country’s territorial integrity.
Under the plan, he also called for ensuring energy security, food security, and nuclear safety.
India has been maintaining that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
In May last year, prime minister Narendra Modi held in-person talks with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
In the talks, Modi conveyed to the Ukranian leader that India will do whatever is possible to find a solution to the conflict.
Asked about reports of slashing of Indian staffers in the Canadian high commission in Delhi, Jaiswal did not give a direct reply.
“It is an administrative matter and you must speak to the Canadian side on what is the reason behind it. As we understand, their visa processing is normal,” he said.
(PTI)
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)