- Two years ago in interview
to Izvestia, you rated possibilities of cooperation between
India and Russia as excellent. What has been realized since?
Two years ago,
my visit to the Russian Federation came in the wake of the September
11 terrorist attacks in the US. Those attacks awakened the world
to the reality of international terrorism, a scourge which both
India and Russia had been suffering from, and were warning the
world about, for many years. After 2001, our strategic partnership
acquired an additional dimension of enhanced bilateral cooperation
in the fight against international terrorism, besides our active
participation in the international coalition against terrorism.
A Joint Working Group on Combating International Terrorism has
been constituted for regular bilateral information exchanges.
Another new bilateral initiative is the Joint Working Group
on Global Challenges. These mechanisms, and ongoing regular
contacts and exchanges at all levels have helped India and Russia
to constantly upgrade bilateral cooperation and to work closely
together to meet the various regional and global challenges
facing us as plural democracies.
In other areas
of our bilateral cooperation also, such as defence, space, nuclear
energy, science and technology, trade and investment, culture
etc, there have been significant achievements and our strategic
partnership is being consolidated. I am happy that the first
few years of the new millennium have lent new and ever growing
dimensions to the age old relationship of warmth and friendliness
between our two countries and peoples.
- What areas of trade and economic
cooperation are still lagging – and why?
Important steps
have been taken both by the countries to enhance our trade and
economic cooperation to a level where it could be commensurate
with the complementarities of our economies. There is need to
encourage the business communities of the two countries to interact
more regularly and extensively so that they can complement each
other’s strengths and benefit from them. This is the reason
why a strong business delegation is accompanying me on my visit
to Moscow this time. At the governmental level, the Indo-Russian
Inter-Governmental Commission has served as a useful instrument
for providing direction to our bilateral cooperation and identifying
new projects of collaboration. There is need to reinforce the
banking and financial framework for trade and investment facilitation.
A Joint Task Force is to study the utilization of the balance
in the Rupee debt fund for investments in both countries. In
short, we are exploring every avenue for injecting further vigour
and momentum to our economic cooperation.
- Three years ago, India and
Russia proclaimed strategic partnership. What specific manifestations
of this partnership have developed since?
The Declaration
on Strategic Partnership, which President Putin and I signed
in October 2000, reflected the traditional cooperation, shared
perspectives and geopolitical convergences, which have cemented
our bilateral relationship over the last many decades. In recent
years, our interaction has been further enriched by our joint
actions against international terrorism, our coordination of
positions on Afghanistan and our consultations on other global
issues.
Meanwhile, we continue
to intensify, expand and diversify all aspects of our bilateral
cooperation.
- Russia supports placing India
among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. What
is your point of view concerning role of the Council in world
affairs?
As outlined
in the UN charter, the primary mandate of the Security Council
is to maintain international peace and security. The Security
Council ahs to evolve suitable decision-making mechanisms, which
ensure better representation of the collective will of the international
community. There is need for enhanced transparency, greater
accountability to the membership of the UN and the need to preserve
the balance envisaged in the UN Charter between the Security
Council, UN General Assembly and other organs.
Terrorism is
the gravest threat, which the civilized world faces today. The
UN Security Council has been playing an important role in dealing
with this threat. We believe that the Council should carry forward
international efforts against international terrorism and strive
for credible multilateral instruments to ensure universal compliance
of the Council’s resolutions against terrorism.
- Your government decided to
refrain from sending Indian troops to Iraq. Do you envision
common actions of Russian and Indian peacekeepers, or even combat
units, in any parts of the world – other than manoeuvres?
India is amongst
the long-standing supporters of and the largest troop contributors
to the UN’s peacekeeping activities. At present, India is contributing
more than 3, 000 personnel to 9 out of the 14 ongoing UN peacekeeping
missions. In some of these missions, Indian peacekeepers do
work side by side with their Russian colleagues as part of the
UN forces. (For instance, our personnel are working alongside
each other in Kosovo). There is room for more cooperation as
situations develop.
- Indian wide reliance on arms
imported from Russia seems to be giving way gradually to more
even choice of partners. Is the change more influenced by political
or economic considerations? Do you foresee new chances for Russian
arms producers in the Indian market in the years ahead?
Indo-Russian
relations in the sphere of defence and military-technical cooperation
are mutually beneficial and have deep roots. Our military technical
cooperation is an ongoing process, is growing from strength
to strength. Having transcended the relationship of buyer and
seller, India and Russia have now graduated to joint designing,
development and production. The jointly developed "BrahMos"
missile is a glowing example of the new dimensions of the Indo-Russian
cooperation in this sphere. India and Russia have also entered
into an agreement to jointly design and produce the fifth generation
aircraft. Frigates of a new generation are being built in Russia
for the Indian Navy and two of these were recently acquired.
For Indian Air Force, the contract for purchase and licensed
production of Su-30 MKI aircraft is under implementation. For
the Army, T-90 tanks are being acquired from Russia. These and
other ongoing projects are indicative of the rapidly expanding
relationship in this area. India’s defence cooperation with
other countries cannot dilute the fundamental strength of the
India-Russia defence cooperation.
- Less than a month ago, China
sent its first cosmonaut in space. Does India pursue a similar
goal, or are there no less ambitious but completely different
goals?
I congratulated
the President and Premier of China on China’s success in sending
its first astronaut into space.
Like China,
India also has a well-developed space sector; we are among only
six space faring nations in the world. India has concentrated
on the developmental applications of space technology; our space
Missions have also supported a variety of scientific and technological
research activities. We have an ambitious plan of sending a
space mission to moon by 2008.
- Eradication of poverty seems
to be one of the common goals between our two countries. Do
you see any chance of joining efforts to reach that goal?
India and Russia
are both economies, endowed with rich human and natural resources
and enormous potential for growth. Both of us also seek to address
our economic challenges in a democratic framework. There is
certainly commonality of interests and complementarity of efforts
in this area, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Various steps
taken by us to bolster our economic cooperation are all aimed
at, directly or indirectly, addressing our developmental goals
and seeking greater prosperity for our peoples. At the multilateral
level, India has supported Russia’s accession to the World Trade
Organization and has offered regular consultations on related
issues. I am happy to note that such consultations have been
found useful by both sides.
- Indian political parties believe
that economic growth and reform should be mantra that will lead
India ahead. You yourself have indicated several figures of
desirable GNP growth. What should be, in your opinion, sources
and ways of this growth?
There is broad
consensus across political parties for the ongoing economic
reforms. Business and the people of India have seen the benefits
of liberalization. Prices of consumer items and services have
come down and there are more choices for the consumers. The
private sector is expanding and diversifying to take advantage
of the opportunities arising from liberalization.
Our target
is to reach an annual growth of 8% from the present rate of
over 6% this yea. In this context, it is to be noted that India
has sustained an average growth of 6% in the last decade of
economic reforms. The fact that 54% of our population of India
is under 25 years of age augurs well for our future productivity
and economic growth. The fundamentals of the economy have become
stronger with low inflation, low interest rates, large and growing
foreign exchange reserves, and increasing foreign investment.
The Government is improving infrastructure, promoting research
and development, developing human resources and empowering people
through Information Technology. In the external side, India
is seeking to accelerate trade and investment through Free Trade
Agreements with some countries and regions. India has already
emerged as a global player in the knowledge-based Economy. All
these developments indicate that India is well positioned for
a future of sustained high growth. We want this growth to be
built on both exports and domestic enterprise.
- In your speeches, you often
refer to treasures of national cultural heritage or even recite
verses (the latter would be very uncommon for a Russian political
or state leader). What is, in your opinion, role of national
culture in approaching proclaimed national goals?
The
cultural and spiritual ethos of a country naturally shapes its
national goals and aspirations for its internal development
and its external posture. It is so with India as well. Our independence
struggle, our non-aligned foreign policy and our developmental
perspectives all bear the stamp of a distinctive Indian inspiration.
- Several lines of Indian culture
enjoy popularity in Russia. Is there, in your opinion, place
and need to broaden Russian cultural presence in India?
