India ready for cooperation to bring peace: PM Modi ahead of Ukraine trip

A day ahead of his visit to conflict-torn Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India firmly believes that a solution to any conflict cannot be found on the battlefield and it is ready to extend all possible cooperation for restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Modi made the remarks after holding wide-ranging talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that saw the elevation of India-Poland ties to the level of strategic partnership.

In the second leg of his two-nation trip, Modi will be in Kyiv for around seven hours. He will leave for the Ukrainian capital onboard a train this evening and the journey will take around 10 hours.

"The conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia are matters of deep concern for all of us. It is India's firm belief that a solution to any problem cannot be found on the battlefield," Modi said in his media statement after talks with Tusk.

"The loss of lives of innocent people in any crisis has become the biggest challenge for the entire humanity. We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability," Modi said.

"For this, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support," he said.

Modi arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday, in the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Poland in nearly half a century.

"Today is a day of special significance in the relations between India and Poland. Today after 45 years an Indian prime minister has visited Poland," he said.

"This year we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. On this occasion, we have decided to transform the relationship into a strategic partnership," Modi said.

Modi said India and Poland have been cooperating with each other on the international stage.

"We both agree that reform in the United Nations and other international institutions is the need of the hour to face global challenges," he said.