TALLINN, December 20 (ANI): India’s Ambassador to Estonia, Ashish Sinha, has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy places him in a unique position to play a constructive and influential role in efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“His personal connect with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both give a lot of hope to the leaders in this part of the world for a very positive, constructive and strong role to be played by PM Modi,” Ambassador Sinha told ANI.
Describing Prime Minister Modi as one of the most prominent global leaders of the time, the ambassador said India’s consistent message advocating peace is resonating strongly across the Baltic region.
He recalled Prime Minister Modi’s key interaction with Russian leadership that helped shape India’s balanced and proactive approach to the conflict. “This is a message that Prime Minister Modi told President Putin for the first time. This is not the era of war, this is the era of dialogue and diplomacy,” Sinha said, adding that the statement has generated optimism in the region.
Referring to Estonia’s perspective, Sinha said the country firmly believes dialogue is the only viable path forward. He noted that Estonian leaders emphasize the need for a resolution that ensures lasting peace rather than a temporary settlement, expressing skepticism about quick fixes that may not endure.
Beyond global security issues, the ambassador outlined his priorities for strengthening bilateral ties between India and Estonia, highlighting digital transformation as a key area of cooperation. Despite differences in size, he said both countries have valuable expertise to share.
“My job is to further India-Estonia bilateral relations in multilateral fora,” Sinha said. “It’s a good relationship, and it has all the potential and elements of a very strong relationship.”
He noted that while Estonia is smaller than India, it has achieved significant success in digitizing public services, presenting opportunities for collaboration. “There’s something that we can offer to Estonia and something that Estonian companies can offer to Indian companies,” he said.
The envoy also highlighted growing educational ties, noting that Estonia has emerged as an important destination for Indian students pursuing higher education. He said interactions with Indian students in the country reflected positive academic experiences, particularly in terms of faculty support.
Sinha further pointed to Estonia’s interest in expanding economic engagement with India, describing India as a large and attractive market for Estonian products. He emphasized the potential for increased commercial collaboration between the two countries.
Emphasizing strong people-to-people links, the ambassador noted the presence of Indian professionals working in Estonia, which he said adds depth to the bilateral relationship.
Looking ahead, Sinha said future trade growth is likely to be driven largely by technology-related sectors, along with some areas of agriculture, reflecting Estonia’s strengths in innovation and India’s vast and diversified market.
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