Philipp Ackermann , german envoy said on Sunday that Germany would not “blame” India for buying crude oil from Russia, but what it actually expects is a clear stand saying international laws must be followed then. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message that “today’s era is not of war” to Russian President Vladimir Putin resonated in the whole Europe in a very positive way.
“Today’s era is not of war”: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clear” message that “today’s era is not of war” to Russian President Vladimir Putin resonated in a very positive way in the whole Europe, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann said on October 23, while praising India’s call for respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries.
The envoy said in an exclusive interview there has been a “certain shift” of India’s position in the Ukraine war referring to the Indian statement against Moscow’s seizure of four Ukrainian regions on the UN resolution.
Mr Ackermann also said that Germany would not “blame” the Indian side for purchasing crude oil from Russia, but it expects a clear positioning saying international laws must be followed.
Further elaborating on the global energy crisis caused by the war, Mr Ackermann said that there is a need for an international network of countries having similar thought processes to handle it and that Germany considers India in this group.
German envoy to India Philipp Ackermann
When asked about PM Modi’s message to Vladimir Putin of ending the war, Mr. Ackermann, the german envoy said, “It is a statement that has resonated widely in the region in a very constructive way. It is a very nice phrase and the whole world heeding to it. I think it was a very loud, very clear sentence that I cannot underscore how much I agreed with PM Modi. So we were very gratified to hear the statement,” he said.
In Prime minister Modi’s bilateral meeting on September 16, with President Putin in Uzbekistan, He said “Today’s era is not of war” and coaxed the Russian leader to end this conflict.
Germany has been playing a very important role in planning Europe’s strategy to tackle the crisis in Ukraine and it has given shelter to around one million Ukrainian refugees along with sending humanitarian aid to the country.
Respect for international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity are crucial says german envoy
Mr. Ackermann, the german envoy noted India’s statement as well during the discussion on the decision on the Russian seizure of four Ukrainian regions at the UN, though New Delhi refrained from voting on it.
He said, “There are patently some disagreements on some issues”. In the last couple of months the Indian statements on this matter, if you have read carefully, you will see a clear shift in the Indian position, he added.
“We read attentively what the Indian representative said to the United Nations during the vote on the annexation of the resolution. Sadly, India abstained, but the Indian representative made it very clear that their country has a very strong prominence on territorial integrity and sovereignty”, he said.
Mr Ackermann said respect for international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity are crucial and that he saw an increasing overlap between the Indian and German position on the crisis.
The German envoys remarks came in the backdrop of growing distress in the Western countries about India again and again refraining from votes censuring the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its growing purchase of crude oil from Moscow.
Talking about the whole India-Germany ties, the envoy said the connection is “extremely broad and very comprehensive”. “In many ways, for Indo-German relations, the sky’s the limit and I see a bright future for them,” he further added.
International network of like-minded states and countries is needed: Mr Ackermann
On the developing global energy crisis, Mr Ackermann said, “I think that most importantly what we need is an international network of like-minded states and countries and I very much count India in this group”.
“I think we should just sit together and have a discussion on the burning and urgent questions of our times like energy security. The dreadful Russian war of antagonism that we are witnessing has made us understand that the energy crisis has to be solved as soon as possible”, he said.
The German envoy said that the G-20 countries should bring up the issue of the energy crisis in its forthcoming summit next month in Indonesia, but pointed out that because of Russia being part of the grouping, a united voice may not come out of it.
Mr Ackermann said now it’s the time to think of ways to reduce dependency on fossil fuel and intensify cooperation to augment the availability of clean fuel. He said,”For us, India is a great power in this context. We feel that in this association for sustainable and green development that we settled with the Indian side in May, this is all laid down. We will work in unity with the Indian side to get the shifting from fossil fuel to renewable sources of energy”.
