India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to discuss Ukraine crisis; calls for dialogue

India on Monday abstained from a procedural vote taken in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) ahead of a meeting to discuss the situation on the Ukraine border. Before the UNSC meeting, Russia, a permanent and veto-wielding member, called for a procedural vote to determine whether the open meeting should go ahead. While Russia and China voted against the meeting, India, Gabon and Kenya abstained. All other 10 Council members, including Norway, France, the US, the UK, France, Ireland, Brazil and Mexico, voted in favour, therefore, the Council went ahead with the meeting on the ongoing crisis of the Ukraine border. 

Following the UNSC meeting, first Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia Dmitry Polyanskiy took to Twitter to thank four of "its colleagues", including India, signalling that New Delhi is siding with Moscow over the issue.

Meanwhile, India issued an official statement over the Ukraine-Russia conflict at the UNSC and categorically stated that a solution for immediate 'de-escalation' of tensions was required, taking into account the legitimate security interest of all countries. India said that it aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond. 

India calls for 'quiet and constructive' diplomacy to resolve the issue

Calling for de-escalation to reduce the tensions, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti stressed that “quiet and constructive” diplomacy is the “need of the hour”.

"India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond," he said.

India talks key UNSC issues with Russia 

Meanwhile, as Russia is all set to take over the presidency in the UNSC from today, February 1, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Vershinin and India's Secretary West of the Ministry of External Affairs Reenat Sandhu held consultations in New Delhi on Monday, January 31. Both the countries held discussions on several subjects with emphasis on the UN Security Council agenda. The Russian official also had a meeting with the nation's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

A thorough exchange of views led to addressing topical issues of the UN Security Council work, including the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Myanmar, as well as the problems of combating terrorism and climate change. Both sides reaffirmed the identity or closeness of the countries' stands on major global and regional issues.

(Image: AP)