Ukraine President Zelenskyy writes to PM Modi

Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova has conveyed to her Indian interlocutors Kyiv's desire to build a stronger and closer relationship with New Delhi.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dzhaparova handed over the letter to Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi during a meeting on Tuesday.

The MEA said the next round of foreign office consultations between the two sides will be held in Kyiv on a mutually convenient date.

The First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine wrapped up her three-day visit to India on Wednesday.

It was the first visit from Ukraine to India after Russia began its invasion of the east European country on February 24 last year.

The MEA said Ukraine requested for additional humanitarian supply, including medicines and medical equipment.

In her meeting with Secretary (West) in the MEA Sanjay Verma, the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister also proposed that rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine could be an opportunity for Indian companies.

It said Dzhaparova's visit to India would facilitate cooperation between the two countries.

On talks between Verma and Dzhaparova, the MEA said the bilateral agenda included spheres such as economic, defence, humanitarian assistance, and global issues of mutual interest.

The MEA said Verma shared that India has provided medicines, medical equipment and would provide school buses etc. to Ukraine.

The MEA said the next meeting of the Inter-governmental commission between the two sides would be held in India.

Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Prime Minister Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy a number of times.

In a phone conversation with President Zelenskyy on October 4 last year, Modi said that there can be "no military solution" and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.