India, US back Ukraine's "territorial integrity"

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Thursday while raising global issues, backed Ukraine's "territorial integrity" and also "condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches."

As Prime Minister Modi paid a maiden State visit to Washington, the two leaders, in a joint statement "called for respect for international law, the two leaders, in a joint statement "called for respect for international law, principles of the UN charter and territorial integrity and sovereignt.''

"As global partners, the United States and India affirm that the rules-based international order must be respected. They emphasized that the contempor global order has been built on principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,"

Expressing their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine, President Biden and PM Modi "mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences."

PM Modi and Biden also underscored the serious and growing impacts of the war on the global economic system, including on food, fuel and energy security, and critical supply chains. They called for greater efforts to mitigate the consequences of the war, especially in the developing world.

Both countries further pledge to render continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. They called for "respect for international law, principles of the UN charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty," as per the joint statement.

The leaders also condemned the destabilizing ballistic missile launches of North Korea, which violate relevant UN Security Council resolutions and pose a grave threat to international peace and security. They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urged N Korea to comply with its obligations under these resolutions and engage in substantive dialogue. They stressed the importance of addressing the concerns regarding North Korea's proliferation linkages related to weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, and related items in the region and beyond.

Apart from Ukraine and N Korea, two leaders also expressed deep concern about the "deteriorating situation in Myanmar, and called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained, the establishment of constructive dialogue, and the transition of Myanmar toward an inclusive federal democratic system," according to the joint statement.

Both US and India also concurred on the importance of post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine

President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated their enduring commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous India-Pacific region with respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and international law.

Both leaders expressed concern over coercive actions and rising tensions, and strongly oppose destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force. Both sides emphasized the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, in addressing challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas, said the joint statement.