Tallinn [Estonia], December 20 (ANI): India's Ambassador to Estonia, Ashish Sinha, has highlighted the significant role Prime Minister Narendra Modi can play in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, noting that PM Modi's 'personal connections' with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provide a rare sense of optimism in the world.

'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 PM Modi as the 'tallest world leader of the time,' the Ambassador emphasised that India's consistent message of peace is resonating deeply within the Baltic region.

He recalled PM Modi's pivotal conversation with the Russian leadership, which set the tone for India's neutral yet proactive stance.

'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 remarked. 'He has already said that 'this is not the era of war' and this has brought a lot of hope in this part of the world.'

'Estonia firmly believes that's the way forward,' he said, adding, 'Estonia feels that the resolution of the situation should guarantee lasting peace. It should not be just a quick fix because they are very sceptical of the peace being long-lasting or not.'

Beyond global security, Ambassador Sinha detailed his priorities for deepening the specific ties between India and Estonia. He identified digital transformation as a key area where both nations can learn from one another, despite their differences in size.

'My job is to further India-Estonia bilateral relations in multilateral fora,' Sinha stated. 'It's a good relationship, and it has all the potential and elements of a very strong relationship.'

'Though Estonia is smaller than India, they have certain advantages in the digital transformation of public services,' Sinha remarked. 'We have digitally achieved milestones in terms of transforming things. There's something that we can offer to Estonia and something that Estonian companies can offer to Indian companies.'

Further, the Indian envoy highlighted the growing educational linkages, noting that Estonia has become an important destination for Indian students seeking higher education. 'Estonia is an important destination for Indian students for pursuing higher education,' he said, adding that his interactions with students reflected a positive experience. 'I met the students here and they were perfectly happy, especially with the supervisors they have. This is another area of cooperation which can further increase,' the Ambassador said.

Sinha also pointed to Estonia's economic outlook and its interest in expanding trade with India.

'Estonia is a small country and needs a bigger market for whatever it produces. They view India as a large market,' he said, indicating the scope for greater commercial collaboration between the two sides.

Emphasising the strength of people-to-people connections, the Ambassador noted the presence of Indian professionals working in Estonia, which he said adds to the depth of the relationship. 'A lot of Indians also work in Estonia, so that connection is strong,' he said.

Looking ahead, Sinha outlined the sectors likely to drive future trade growth. According to him, 'Trade and commerce will be mostly on these tech-related areas, a bit of agriculture,' reflecting Estonia's strengths in technology and India's large and diversified market. (ANI)