The Ukraine conflict was a major point of discussion during the second India-Nordic Summit on Wednesday, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Denmark during his ‘three-day, three-nation’ Europe tour. India and the five Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland — condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine and called for a cessation of hostilities.
The prime ministers discussed the destabilising effect of Russia’s invasion of its eastern neighbour as well as the broader regional and global implications. All of them expressed their serious concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities," a joint statement said. They emphasised that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states.
“The Nordic prime ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian forces," the statement said.
The statement read that India and the Nordic countries affirmed their support for a rules-based international order and for multilateral institutions and their commitment to work towards making them more inclusive, transparent, and accountable with the aim of addressing global challenges more effectively.
“This included working towards reform of the UN, including of the Security Council, to make it more effective, transparent and accountable, and the reform of the World Trade Organisation, as well as strengthening collaboration on global health issues, including pandemic preparedness and response," it said.
The statement further said the Nordic countries reiterated their support for India’s Permanent Membership of a reformed and expanded Security Council.
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