India calls for restraint at UNSC meeting, UN Representative Tirumurti says safety of Indian students in Ukraine priority

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, in his UNSC speech on Tuesday said the escalation of tensions along the Ukraine-Russia border is a matter of deep concern and India calls for restraint on all sides.

Tirumurti said immediate priority should be de-escalation of the tensions, as the world can't afford a military escalation and this issue can only be resolved diplomatically. More than twenty thousand Indian students study in Ukraine, their well-being is India's priority, he added.

"The safety and security of civilians are essential. More than twenty thousand Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us."

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"We need to intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure a mutually amicable solution is arrived at at the earliest," Tirumurti said. Minsk agreement provided basis for negotiated and peaceful settlement and efforts should be made to find common ground, the diplomat said.

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"As we have emphasised before, the Minsk Agreements provide a basis for a negotiated and peaceful settlement and we need greater efforts to find common ground to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including key security and political aspects."

He also said that India strongly emphasize the vital need for all sides to maintain international peace and security by exercising the utmost

restraint and intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure that a mutually amicable solution is arrived at the earliest.