Copenhagen

The Nordic Prime Ministers strongly condemned the "unlawful and unprovoked aggression" against Ukraine by Russian Forces, the joint statement of the 2nd India-Nordic Summit said on Wednesday.

This statement was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a summit with hhis counterparts from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark. During the Summit, the Prime Ministers pledged to continue to deepen cooperation between the Nordic countries and India and focused their discussions on key issues related to international peace and security, including the war in Ukraine, multilateral cooperation, green transition and climate change, the blue economy, innovation and digitalisation.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the importance of free trade as a driver for achieving inclusive growth and realising the Sustainable Development Goals.

"The Nordic Prime Ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian Forces," the joint statement read.

According to the statement, the Prime Ministers expressed their serious concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. "They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities," it added.

They discussed the destabilizing effect of the conflict in Ukraine and its broader regional and global implications. Both sides agreed to remain closely engaged on the issue.

Moreover, the Prime Ministers affirmed their strong commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation.

"The leaders agreed that pressing challenges such as tackling climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, biodiversity loss and increasing food and energy insecurity across the world required international cooperation, a collective response and global solidarity," the statement read.