- You are soon paying an official
visit to Russia. Could you please describe the current status
of relations between India and Russia?
India-Russia
relations are wide-ranging and time-tested. They are based on
shared interests, trust and mutual understanding. There is a
national consensus in India on the need for a strong and stable
relationship with the Russian Federation. There is no doubt
about the importance of Russia as a reliable and strategic partner
of India. Interactions in the recent past have substantiated
this further. Since October 2000, we have instituted the practice
of annual summits to review bilateral relations.
Our mutually
beneficial cooperation includes such key areas as defence, science
and technology, space and nuclear energy. Close political understanding
has allowed our two countries to discuss and coordinate positions
on issues of regional and global importance. Being multi-religious
and multi-ethnic pluralistic societies, we share common interests
and concerns.
I am greatly
looking forward to my visit, during which I hope to discuss
with President Putin a wide range of bilateral, regional and
multilateral issues of mutual concern. I have no doubt that
the visit will further strengthen our relations and lead to
even greater cooperation between our countries.
- Moscow and Delhi have frequently
talked about the big potential for bilateral trade and economic
cooperation. What steps are being taken to realize this potential?
Our
current level of bilateral trade at about US $ 1.5 billion is
not reflective of the actual potential. Both countries need
to explore new areas of cooperation, especially since the Rupee-Rouble
arrangement, which has sustained trade between us for a long
time, is coming to an end in 2005. An India-Russia Task Force
is being set up to work out modalities for utilizing the balance
of Rupee-Roubel Debt Funds in both countries and to consider
ways of boosting bilateral trade and investment.
Recently, the
two countries have taken some steps to diversify the trade basket
and move away from traditional sectors, to ones dealing with
the new economy. The business communities of our two countries
are also being encouraged to interact more closely to exploit
existing opportunities. A large business delegation from India
will accompany me on my visit to Russia to explore the potential
for further cooperation. Efforts are also being made to create
Indian joint venture banks in Moscow to facilitate payments.
One of India’s
apex chambers of commerce and industry has decided to open a
Representative Office in Russia to facilitate contacts and exchanges
between our business entrepreneurs. I am glad that some Russian
companies have recently started talks with their Indian counterparts
in the field of telecommunications, information technology,
and electronics. This is the direction of future cooperation,
and I am confident that with sustained efforts by both sides,
such cooperation will fructify in the near future.
- There have been contacts at
non-governmental levels – parliamentary and intelligentsia –
to promote an atmosphere for the normalization of India-Pakistan
relations. How do you see further progress?
Following
my April 18 initiative of once again extending the hand of friendship
to Pakistan there have been number of significant developments.
The respective High Commissioners have assumed charge. The Delhi-Lahore
bus service has been resumed and is running to full capacity.
Both sides have released prisoners. In addition, there have
been high-level exchanges at the level of parliamentarians,
media, businessmen and cultural contacts. Certainly, a great
deal of positive resonance has been generated amongst the people
in the two countries. A few weeks ago, we announced steps to
encourage more economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and
people-to-people contacts between the two countries. We believe
that greater interaction in these areas could help create a
climate of friendship and trust in which more difficult political
issues can be addressed.
We intend to
continue with the step-by-step process of normalization of diplomatic
and other links with Pakistan, building on the successes achieved
and the support generated, so that lasting peace is established
between the two countries.
- Why does your government reject
direct talks with Pakistan?
It is
incorrect to say that we reject talks with Pakistan. India remains
committed to discussing all outstanding issues with Pakistan
peacefully through bilateral dialogue in accordance with the
Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, both of which are
bilateral agreed documents. What we do say is that for any meaningful
political dialogue, cross-border terrorism, unleashed in Jammu
and Kashmir from across our borders, has to stop. Dialogue and
terrorism do not go hand in hand.
- Military-technical cooperation
between India and Russia is probably the most stable and important
sphere of our bilateral relations. At the same time Delhi seems
to be diversifying its military ties with other countries. Do
you think this tendency may lead to reduced cooperation with
Russia?
India
and Russia have traditionally enjoyed very close ties in the
field of defence. Relations in this sphere have grown well beyond
a mere buyer-seller relationship, to now include joint design,
investment and production. Such an interdependent relationship
constantly generates newer and wider spheres of cooperation.
All the wings of the Indian Armed Forces continue to obtain
major supplies from Russia. Russia, therefore, remains our most
important and reliable defence partner. The growth of our military
ties with other countries cannot undermine our broad-based defence
cooperation with Russia.
- India has a longstanding territorial
problem with China. Is there hope that it will be solved in
the foreseeable future? How do you assess relations between
Delhi and Beijing?
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 the 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.
- Will your country send its
troops to Iraq as part of International Peace Keeping Force?
India
has welcomed the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council
Resolution 1511. We attach the greatest importance to the need
for reconstruction work in Iraq and to the early return of sovereignty
to its people. We have already pledged assistance of US $ 30
million for Iraqi reconstruction projects. We are willing to
take further initiatives to assist the Iraqi people. The question
of troop contribution is tied up with a number of factors including
not only the ground realities in Iraq but also our own domestic
security requirements.
- Terrorism and religious extremism.
Which one of the two poses the biggest threat to your country?
India
is a secular country where all religions of the world are represented.
Secularism is an essential principle of life in India, which
is also enshrined in our Constitution. We reject extremism of
any kind. Both India and Russia are multiethnic, multicultural
and multireligious pluralistic democracies, which are particularly
vulnerable to terrorism. Terrorists have no religion, as no
religion prescribes violence against innocent people. In fact,
our battle is against those extremist elements, who misuse and
misinterpret religion to justify terrorism and incite violence.
- How do you see your country
by the end of this century?
