New Delhi, Sep 9 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ongoing Ukraine war has once again been included in the G20 declaration of 2023 here on Saturday.
In a major announcement on Ukraine, the G20 declaration stated that the threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.
This declaration is viewed as very significant in the context of the earlier stand by Western nations who have been pushing for more forceful language regarding Ukraine and Russia’s involvement in the conflict.
In a major shift in the language from the Bali declaration last year, the declaration refers to “war in Ukraine” as against “war against Ukraine”, hinting at a climbdown by G7 and EU over language from Bali.
The document also does not mention “Russia” anywhere while referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, yet another major shift in the language used in the declaration
“Concerning the war in Ukraine, while recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety,” the declaration mentioned.
“In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state, it stated. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible,” it added.
The declaration appreciated the efforts of Türkiye and UN-brokered Istanbul Agreements consisting of the MoU between the Russian Federation and the Secretariat of the United Nations on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to the world markets.
The declaration also appreciated the initiative on safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, known as Black Sea Initiative.
The declaration called for their full, timely and effective implementation to ensure the immediate and unimpeded deliveries of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers/inputs from the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
“This is necessary to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly those in Africa,” it said.
“In this context, emphasizing the importance of sustaining food and energy security, we called for the cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure.
“We also expressed deep concern about the adverse impact that conflicts have on the security of civilians thereby exacerbating existing socio-economic fragilities and vulnerabilities and hindering an effective humanitarian response,” the declaration added.
The declaration also calls on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.
“The peaceful resolution of conflicts, and efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are critical,” it added.
