Reiterating India's call for peace, dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the ongoing conflict, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti, on Monday appreciated the Ukrainian government for relaxations to medical students in the current academic year.
Talking about the situation of Women and Children in Ukraine, Tirumurti referred to the evacuation of Indian nationals, most of whom were students, adding that India is exploring options to minimise the impact on their education
"Let us also not forget that the situation has also affected foreign students, including Indian students. India facilitated safe return of 22,500 Indian nationals, most of them students studying in various universities in Ukraine. We are exploring options to minimize the impact on our students' education. We appreciate the relaxations made by the Ukrainian Government for this academic year in respect of medical students," Tirumurti said.
"Women and children invariably suffer the most in any armed conflicts or military confrontation. From reports coming out of Ukraine, women and children have been disproportionately impacted and form the bulk of the refugees and Internally Displaced Persons," India's Permanent Representative said.
Commending Ukraine's neighbouring countries for taking in refugees, Tirumurti emphasized the value of treating the refugees "equally and with dignity and catering to their needs and requirements."
"We commend the Ukraine's neighboring countries who have welcomed refugees from Ukraine, and especially for treating women and children with compassion and dignity. As a country which has welcomed refugees over centuries, India knows the importance and value of treating them equally and with dignity and catering to their needs and requirements," Tirumurti said.
"Since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives," Tirumurti further said.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities.
Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor