- You are shortly paying the
second visit to Russia this year. You came to St. Petersburg
for its 300th anniversary. What are you planning
to discuss now? What is the purpose of your visit? What is the
necessity for regular annual meetings between highest leadership
of India and Russia?
The nature
of India-Russia partnership is such that there are very many
subjects on which we consult each other and many areas on which
we need to decide on cooperation and collaboration. We have
close political and economic links and strong strategic convergences
in our region and elsewhere. President Putin and I have agreed
that we should have summit-level meetings at least once every
year in order to review and constantly upgrade our bilateral
relations. My forthcoming visit to Russia will give me a valuable
opportunity to discuss with President Putin a wide range of
bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern.
- Which are the areas in which
Indian-Russian relations are developing most successfully? Could
you give specific examples?
India and Russia
have substantial ties in a wide range of sectors, including
economy and trade, science and technology, culture, defence,
space and atomic energy. The depth of our relationship and its
politico-strategic nature is reflected by our unique understanding
in political as well as economic matters. Indian investment
in the oil field at Sakhalin-I and Russian assistance for the
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India are just two examples
of this fruitful cooperation between our countries in the field
of energy. India has received Russian assistance in its civilian
space programme. Our two countries have jointly developed and
produced the supersonic cruise missile ‘Brahmos’. There are
many more examples of the successes of India-Russia cooperation.
- India became the second motherland
for outstanding Russian oriental scientists and artists like
Nikolai Roerich and his son Svetaslav Roerich. Russians are
very much interested in preserving a good memory about them
in India. As it is known, you personally take part in the destiny
of their estates in Kulu and Bangalore. What is being done in
this regard?
India is proud
to share the rich legacy of Nikolai Roerich and his son Svyatsolav.
As a tribute to their contribution to strengthening cultural
relations between India and Russia, we have set aside a substantial
sum of money for developing and maintaining the Roerich Estates
in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. We hope that our efforts
to preserve such links will serve as a symbol of Indian-Russian
cultural relations and will be reflected in more joint projects
to commemorate our shared cultural links.
- India, like Russia, is a multinational
country. Russian national units are republican and Indian –
States. Some of the Indian states have population of over ten
billion people. What is the reason for national and political
unity of India, which has never been an issue since the declaration
of Indian independence? Especially considering that neighbouring
countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh have military coup d’etat
on a regular basis?
Tolerance
and pluralism are ingrained in the Indian ethos. It is this
ethos, which has nourished and sustained the institution of
parliamentary democracy in India our since independence. With
our regional, religious, cultural and linguistic diversities,
and with widespread illiteracy, poverty and hunger which we
inherited at independence, not many thought that India could
survive as a democracy for any length of time. The developments
in our neighbourhood only added to such doubts. We have proved
the skeptics wrong. We have preserved the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic
and multi-religious fabric of our society within a democratic
and federal framework. The magnitude of this achievement is
sometimes not fully appreciated.
- At the last session of the
UN General Assembly, India along with a number of other countries
was for reform of the UN Security Council. How reformed does
your country want to see the UNSC?
The existing
structures of the UN Security Council were established over
50 years ago. International and regional developments since
then have changed the very face of the world. To better reflect
present day realities, including the interests of its vastly
expanded membership, it is necessary to enlarge and restructure
of the UN Security Council.
We feel that
the expansion and improvement of the working methods of the
Council should constitute integral parts of a comprehensive
package on Security Council Reform. Most UN members, including
Russia, recognize this need. The Security Council needs to evolve
suitable decision-making mechanisms for enhanced transparency,
greater accountability to the membership of the UN and to ensure
the right balance between the Security Council, the UN General
Assembly and other organs of the UN. In particular, developing
countries need to have adequate representation in the Security
Council. The expansion in the membership should entail increase
in both permanent and non-permanent categories ensuring better
representation of the collective will of the international community.
- The attitude towards the UN
is diverse. Some countries believe that this international organization
copes with its task, others don’t. What is India’s position
on the role and place of the UN in the modern world?
As a
founder member of the United Nations, India has been a firm
supporter of the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
The challenges of an increasingly dependant world demand a greater
role for the UN as the only universal forum for the community
of nations. India believes in the vision of a cooperative multilateralism.
Developments
in the recent past have exposed the weaknesses in the decision-making
processes of the existing multilateral system. We can therefore
understand the current mood to revisit the issues of the international
world order, the new threats and challenges and the institutions
to deal with them and the necessity of reforms in the UN system.
A revitalized and strengthened United Nations and a more representative
Security Council will enable this unique organization to face
the challenges of the 21st century more effectively.
What we require is not the displacement of the United Nations
and its agencies, but their reform.
- Officially the triangle of
Delhi-Moscow-Beijing is downplayed. However, politicians and
mass media of many countries unofficially discuss the subject.
Most agree that the closer the three countries cooperate, the
more it will contribute to the creation of multipolar world.
What does India think of cooperation of the three capitals on
the international arena?
The
Foreign Ministers of Russia, China and India have been meeting
on the margins of UN General Assembly in New York. They have
exchanged views on topical international issues and explored
avenues of cooperation. There are several issues on which the
three countries share views and can consult each other. The
creation of a just, multipolar world order is one such issue.
There are a large number of areas of potential in economic cooperation
among the three countries.
- The question above raises another
question: How are relations between Delhi and Beijing developing?
How successfully do your countries manage to overcome territorial
disagreements?
Our
relations with China have been improving steadily over the years.
The momentum of high level visits has been maintained. Various
bilateral forums for interaction have been established, covering
diverse areas such as trade and investment, policy planning,
security and counter-terrorism. The economic content of our
relationship has increased substantially. This year, we hope
to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of US $7 billion. Exchanges
in other areas like science and technology, culture, defence,
agriculture and investment have also progressed.
During my visit
to China in June this year we agreed to raise our bilateral
political and economic cooperation to qualitatively higher levels.
As our relationship expands and diversifies, it will increase
mutual goodwill and trust, which should facilitate resolution
of our differences between us on the border. We have appointed
Special Representatives to explore the framework of a boundary
settlement from the political perspective of the overall bilateral
relationship. We will proceed along this course, in the conviction
that as we intensify and diversify our economic cooperation
and people-to-people links, we can develop a climate of understanding
and trust in which differences can be resolved from a larger
political perspective.
- In the recent years the world
has faced a new challenge – international terrorism. It is not
new for India. Your country has been fighting against international
terrorists in the Indian State Jammu and Kashmir for many years
now. What do you think is the main reason for appearance of
international terrorism? What is it, some kind of appearance
of social phenomenon, a relapse from the past, or an expression
of old religious animosity in new conditions?
I have repeatedly
said that international terrorism is today a global monster,
which knows no national boundaries or territorial limits of
operation. It exploits the openness and freedoms of democratic
societies. It uses modern technologies and unorthodox techniques
to achieve its destructive objectives. It can only be countered
by global, united and comprehensive effort. We cannot afford
selective approaches, which sacrifice the long-term goal for
short-term interests. Differing standards cannot be applied
for judging terrorism.
Democratic
societies are the most vulnerable to terrorism, which exploits
the freedoms and openness that democracy promotes. Ultimately,
therefore, it is only through a determined coalition of democratic
countries that we can effectively counter terrorism. We should
not be cowed down by those who have embraced the cult of violence
or extremism. Our two countries can do much to promote the values
of tolerance and moderation in an increasingly turbulent world.
- As India in Kashmir so does
Russia in Chechnya fight against international terrorists who
hide under the guise of Islam. Do you think that the current
outbreak of terrorism has something to do with Islamic religion?
We totally
dismiss the proposition that any religion is a source of terrorism.
Such arguments seek to discredit one of the great religions
of the world. No religion prescribes violence against innocent
people. Our battle is against extremist elements, who misuse
and misinterpret religion to justify terrorism and incite violence.
- Today your party Bhartiya Janata
Party rules the country along with 24 other political parties.
How is it possible to manage such multiparty coalition?
Coalition
politics in India is an indicator of maturity of India’s democratic
traditions. The fact that the current coalition has stayed intact
for over 5 years is a tribute to its constituent parties. It
is an indicator of what all is possible when politicians decide
to come together for the larger interests of the country. I
believe that governance by coalition is particularly suited
for Indian conditions, since it enables better sensitivity to
all shades of sectoral and regional interests.
- I happened to work as a correspondent
in India. I got the impression that regardless of the leading
party of coalition of parties, the course for friendship and
cooperation with the Soviet Union and now Russia remains the
same. Is this impression true?
You
are absolutely right. There is indeed an all-Party consensus
in India on the need to develop stable and strong relations
with Russia. In fact, I do not think there is any other country
for which there is such a groundswell of popular goodwill and
such a broad political spectrum of support in India!
- In conclusion, tell us a little
about yourself. Where and how do you spend your vacation?
