New Delhi | With West Asia on the brink of a wider regional war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a "swift end" to the escalating conflict in the region saying no issue can be resolved through military confrontation.
Modi's remarks following his wide-ranging talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb came as the United States and Israel's war with Iran entered the sixth day with both sides launching fresh strikes, significantly heightening tensions across the region.
Stubb strongly backed India's bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, arguing that it is of "utmost importance" along with larger reform of the global multilateral system to reflect the current geopolitical realities.
In his media statement, Modi said the India-Finland relationship in the digitalisation and sustainability is being given the shape of a strategic partnership that will energise cooperation in many high-technology areas including AI, 6G telecom, clean energy and quantum computing.
The two sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in key sectors such as defence, space, semiconductors, and critical minerals.
The crisis in West Asia figured prominently in the Modi-Stubb talks.
"India and Finland, both, believe in the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy. We are in agreement that no issue can be resolved through military conflict alone," the prime minister said.
"Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support the swift end of conflicts and every effort towards peace," he added.
Modi also made a mention of the upswing in India-Europe relations.
"The world is going through a period of instability and uncertainty. Conflict persists in many parts of the world, from Ukraine to West Asia. In such a global environment, India and Europe -- two of the world's major diplomatic powers -- are entering a golden period of their relations," he said.
"Our growing cooperation is providing new strength to global stability, growth, and shared prosperity," he said.
The Finnish president said both sides deliberated on the conflict in West Asia and Russia's "war of aggression" against Ukraine.
"We agreed that ending the war is in everyone's interests. A lasting peace can only be one that respects the principles of the United Nations," he said.
In his remarks, Modi said the India-European Union free trade agreement will help deepen ties between New Delhi and Helsinki.
"This agreement will further strengthen trade, investment, and technology cooperation between India and Finland. India and Finland are important partners in areas such as digital technology, infrastructure, and sustainability," he said.
The prime minister also highlighted Finnish telecom giant Nokia's operations in India.
"Nokia's mobile phone and telecom networks have connected millions of Indians. In collaboration with Finnish architects, we built the world's tallest railway bridge over the Chenab river," he said.
"Inspired by such significant examples, we are transforming India-Finland relations into a strategic partnership in digitalisation and sustainability during President Stubb's visit," Modi said.
"This partnership will accelerate and energize our cooperation in many high-tech areas, from AI to 6G telecom, from clean energy to quantum computing," he said.
Modi said both sides will also deepen partnership in key sectors such as defence, space, semiconductors, and critical minerals.
"This strategic partnership between democratic and responsible countries like India and Finland will contribute to ensuring trustworthy technology and supply chains for the entire world," he said.
"Finland is an important partner of India in the Nordic region. Together with Finland, we are also increasing cooperation in Arctic and polar research," he said.
"A healthy planet is our shared priority. We are delighted that this year, together with Finland, we will be hosting the World Circular Economy Forum in India. This will give new momentum and fresh ideas to our sustainability efforts," he said.