At the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla addressed young diplomats and listeners on the topic: “The main priorities of India's foreign policy. Russian-Indian relations”, and also answered numerous questions.
After the speech, H. Shringla met with the leadership of the Academy, as well as with Russian veterans of the diplomatic service in the rank of ambassadors.
During his visit to Moscow, First Deputy H. Shringla was received by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and his consultations with Deputy Ministers IV Morgulov and Sergey Ryabkov took place.
A separate meeting was held between the Rector Alexander Yakovenko and the First Deputy Minister with the participation of the Ambassador of India to Russia D.B. Venkatesh Varma. An interested conversation took place about the prospects for the development of Russian-Indian relations. Special attention was paid to the exchange of trips by diplomats of the two countries.
Foreign Secretary’s Speech at the Russian Diplomatic Academy, Moscow,
H.E. Mr. Alexander Yakovenko, Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!
It is my pleasure to interact with the young diplomat-trainees of the renowned Russian Diplomatic Academy in Moscow - a distinguished world-class institution which has trained generations of Russian diplomats for more than 80 years. My special thanks to the Rector Ambassador Yakovenko for hosting this event, despite the difficulties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
I take this opportunity to convey my felicitations to the diplomatic fraternity of Russia on the 'Diplomats Day' that was recently celebrated on 10 February. The professional expertise and language skills of Russian diplomats are well known. We have a road in New Delhi named after the legendary Russian Ambassador to India, Late Alexander Kadakin, who was fluent in Hindi and other Indian languages. India also shares a similar tradition of celebrating a day of diplomats on 9 October. My address today in this august house is also provided for in the existing Agreement on Mutual Cooperation between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (New Delhi) and the Russian Diplomatic Academy.
Given the significance we attach to the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, it is only fitting that Moscow is the destination for my first visit abroad in 2021. In this context, I recall that the only outgoing Ministerial level visits from India during March-September 2020, while the Covid-19 pandemic raged and disrupted everyday life, were those of our External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister to Moscow.
Earlier today, I had excellent meetings at the Russian Foreign Ministry where we reviewed our bilateral relations, including forthcoming high level exchanges. We also discussed India-Russia cooperation in multilateral forums and exchanged views on issues of regional and international importance.
The year 2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the India-Russia Strategic Partnership and the 10th anniversary of its elevation to a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. As described by Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov recently, the India-Russia relationship is truly “very close, very strategic, very special, and very privileged”. It is almost unique in the annals of diplomacy. Notwithstanding radical changes in the global geo-political landscape, our long-standing and time-tested partnership has grown from strength to strength.
The long-term convergence of interests, sensitivity to each other’s core concerns, mutual respect and trust shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin and growing people-to-people contacts are key drivers of our bilateral partnership. Defence, energy, space and civil nuclear cooperation have been its traditional pillars. Our political ties have been bolstered by regular annual summits at the level of our leaders. Since 2014, President Putin and Prime Minister Modi have met each other 19 times. Last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Prime Minister Modi and President Putin had 4 telephone conversations.
Our two countries have exhibited tremendous resilience following the Covid-19 outbreak. The pandemic has taught us that such challenges can be addressed only through common efforts. UNCTAD recently reported that India had recorded the highest positive growth in FDI in 2020. India is poised for a sharp economic recovery with GDP growth for the financial year 2021-22 estimated at over 10 per cent. We expect India to regain the status of the fastest growing large economy in the world. It is in this context that we particularly value our relationship with Russia.
India is home to a robust vaccine industry, with 60% of the world’s vaccines made in India. While addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Modi gave an assurance to the global community that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used for the benefit of all humanity. As the “Pharmacy of the World”, India’s emphasis on “Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship)”, rather than “Vaccine Nationalism” is reflective of our civilisational values.
This January, India began the world’s largest vaccine roll-out programme to cover 300 million (of our total population of 1.3 bn) by July 2021. Almost simultaneously, we also commenced supplies of made-in-India vaccines to our neighbouring countries and key partners. About 6.5 million doses have been dispatched to over a dozen countries as grants, and about 23 million on commercial basis to other countries.
We congratulate Russia on its achievements in developing vaccines against Covid-19, especially the Sputnik-V vaccine. Phase-III trials of Sputnik-V in India have commenced and I understand that a significant production of Sputnik-V will be undertaken in India. We are hopeful that our joint attempts at bolstering global vaccine supplies will showcase our partnership for the benefit of the world.
India and Russia enjoy long-standing cooperation in military and military-technical spheres. India is the largest buyer of arms from Russia. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation, our Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh paid two visits to Moscow (in June and September 2020) to strengthen our defence cooperation. On 24 June 2020, a 75-member Indian contingent took part in the military parade in Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of victory in World War-II.
Our defence relations have transformed from a purely buyer-seller relationship to one of joint research, design and production. Under the “Make-in-India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India)” Programmes, we are making further strides towards qualitatively enhancing our defence partnership. India and Russia have signed an Agreement on Joint Manufacturing of Spares, Components of Russian/Soviet origin defence equipment in 2019. Manufacture of the “BrahMos” missile system and licensed production in India of SU-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks are standout examples of our cooperation with Russia. We also plan to begin the manufacturing of AK-203 rifles, through an India-Russia joint venture in India, involving full technology transfer.
India-Russia trade, amounting to US$ 10.11 bn in FY 2019-2020, is far below the potential. Both countries have set the bilateral trade target at US$ 30 billion by 2025. One of the steps taken to enhance trade is the commencement of negotiations in August 2020 for the India-EAEU Free Trade Agreement. The operationalisation of a “Green Corridor” and a Bilateral Investment Protection Arrangement are likely to encourage bilateral trade and investment, respectively. Use of national currencies in bilateral trade settlements will also reduce cost and time as well as risk of held-up payments.
The oil and gas sector has been a flagship sector of our commercial cooperation. India’s investment in the Sakhalin-1 project was one of our earliest public sector investments abroad. Till date, Indian oil and gas companies have acquired stakes in 5 Russian companies/projects at a value of about US$ 15 bn. Rosneft was the leader of a consortium of investors that, in 2017, acquired a 98% stake in India’s Essar Oil at a cost of US$ 12.9 bn. This is the largest investment by a Russian company in India. It is a pointer to the opportunities that await our countries in the energy economy. We are looking at long-term arrangements for the supply of coking coal from Russia for Indian steel plants. An “India Energy Centre” will be opened in Moscow next month.
It is important to diversify and expand the India-Russia trade basket. After a slump in 2020, certain sectors, such as trade in diamonds, have already recovered to normal levels. There is interest in taking forward cooperation in railways, transport and logistics, civilian ship building and repair, inland waterways, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, minerals, steel, chemicals, including petrochemicals, ceramics, agro-industry, timber, high technology and scientific research. Our companies are actively exploring investments in Russia in energy, minerals, infrastructure and healthcare.
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed several choke-points and vulnerabilities in global supply chains. In the case of our two countries, this has allowed us to analyse where India and Russia can stand together to overcome over-dependence and over-reliance on certain economies. While Covid-19 presented its physical connectivity challenges, we organised more than 40 sector-specific business engagements in the video-conference format in 2020. We should continue our efforts to overcome traditional barriers to trade while also exploring new areas of economic engagement.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Vladivostok for the Annual Bilateral Summit and the Eastern Economic Forum in September 2019 was a powerful signal of India’s ‘Act Far East’ policy. His announcement of US$ 1 bn Line of Credit for developmental projects reflects India’s commitment to substantive engagement with the Russian Far East. We have prioritised the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Eastern Maritime (Chennai-Vladivostok) Corridor as alternatives to the limited and expensive traditional routes. These will help overcome the logistical challenges posed by geographical distance.We are also exploring synergies with partner countries like Japan and the first Track-II Dialogue on “India-Japan-Russia Cooperation in the Russian Far East” was held In January 2021 in the virtual format. It has identified potential areas for trilateral cooperation.
As an observer country in the Arctic Council, India is also interested in greater engagement with Russia in the Arctic region. We are active particpants in the “International Arctic Forum” being organised by Russia and look forward to Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021.
From earth, I now turn to space – a frontier in the exploration of which India and Russia have worked closely and meaningfully for over five decades. The launch of India’s first two satellites, “Aryabhata” and “Bhaskara-1”, from Russian soil remains a legacy of our friendship. Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to outer space on board the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft in 1984. Currently, 4 astronauts and 2 flight surgeons from India are undergoing training in Russia as part of “Gaganyaan”, India’s human space flight programme.
Cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy is an important aspect of our strategic partnership, and the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) is a cherished joint project. We have agreed to commission 12 Russian-designed nuclear reactors in India in the coming years.
No geopolitical discussion today can be complete without a mention of "Indo-Pacific”. Indo-Pacific signifies the seamless interface of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. For India, it is the vast maritime space stretching from the western coast of North America to the eastern shores of Africa. We see this as a free, open, inclusive region, which embraces us all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity. Over 50% of global trade traverses this maritime domain. It is also home to over 60% of the world’s population and the global GDP and hence the security, stability, peace and prosperity of Indo-Pacific region is vital for the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore in 2018 described our Indo-Pacific vision in one word “SAGAR” (Ocean) - an acronym for "Security and Growth for All in the Region”. In 2019, at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok, Prime Minister Modi took the idea of SAGAR further and announced the "Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative” to support the building of a rules-based regional architecture resting on 7 pillars: maritime security; maritime ecology; maritime resources; capacity building/esource sharing; disaster risk reduction and management; science, technology and academic cooperation; and trade connectivity/ transport.
An Indo-Pacific guided by norms and governed by rules, with freedom of navigation, open connectivity, and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, is an article of faith for India. As major powers and stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders including us to ensure that the region remains peaceful and open, taking into account needs and concerns of all its inhabitants.
I have, so far, outlined India-Russia cooperation in three strategic geographies – Eurasia, Indo-Pacific and the Russian Far East, and the Arctic. These are key emerging theatres of geopolitics that all of you, as young diplomats, will be engaged with through your careers. Russia is crucial to all three regions, and India and Russia will agree much more than they will disagree on the strategic direction, the inherent and necessary multi-polarity, and the security and prosperity of these regions. In fact, a multipolar world and multipolar Asia are not possible without India and Russia.
An issue in our neighbourhood that merits our close attention and coordination is the situation in Afghanistan, which is curently going through a critical phase. Our two countries closely cooperate on Afghanistan both bilaterally and also within the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and other formats.
India and Afghanistan share milllenia old relations. India has a multi-sectoral development policy under which we support the building of dams, transmission lines, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, etc in Afghanistan. India has so far, committed more than US$ 3 billion in Afghanistan and our developmental projects are spread across all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
India welcomes and supports all efforts aimed at an early and inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-controlled and Afghan-owned reconciliation in Afghanistan, one that preserves the gains of the last 2 decades and ensures the welfare and well-being of Afghanistan and of other countries in the region. The rise in violence and targeted killings of Afghan activists is not conducive to the ongoing peace process. An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire is therefore required since talks and violence cannot go hand in hand.
India and Russia have a long history of working together in international and multilateral organisations, including the UN, SCO, BRICS and G20. We share a deep convergence of interests in multilateral organisations, marked by respect for each other’s sensitivities. As India takes on the chairmanship of BRICS and RIC this year, we look forward to fruitful cooperation with Russia.
Our two countries regard the establishment of the multi-polar global order in international relations as a reflection of natural and inevitable process of evolution of inter-state relations in the 21st century. We believe that there is a need to reform the United Nations and in particular, the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative of contemporary realities and to respond more effectively to emerging challenges and threats. We are thankful for Russia’s strong support to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed United Nations Security Council. This year, India joined the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 8th time. We would like to thank Russia for its support to India’s election. we have been working in the UNSC in close coordination with Russia.
India and Russia maintain intensive counter-terrorism cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats. We strongly believe that there can be no justification whatsoever for any acts of terrorism, whether based upon ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic or any other reasons. We are convinced that the unprecedented spread of this threat requires decisive collective response on part of the entire global community, without double standards and selectivity, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. All countries should work sincerely to disrupt cross-border terrorist networks and their financing. We call for early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism to strengthen the global counter-terrorism normative and legal framework to combat this scourge.
India recognises that a holistic approach is required to tackle climate change. Rapid expansion of renewable energy resources is at the centre of our climate strategy. We expect to install 220 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which will exceed our target of 175 GW. The Ujala scheme – a national drive to use LED lamps – is reducing CO2 emissions by 38.5 million tonnes every year. Our Smart Cities Mission is working to help 100 cities in India to become more sustainable and adaptable to the challenges of climate change. We are also building next-generation infrastructure such as mass transit systems, green highways and waterways.
At the global stage, we have co-founded mechanisms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) that are working on creating global low-carbon pathways. The ISA provides a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar-resource-rich countries to help achieve the common goal of increasing the use and quality of solar energy. The CDRI is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks. India would be happy to welcome Russia into the ISA and CDRI families.
Perhaps the most important bonds of friendship, however, are the people-to-people contacts between our two countries. The strong political will to have closer relations is equally matched by a strong public sentiment in both countries. More than 15,000 Indian students are enrolled in various technical institutions in Russia, particularly for the study of medicine. Different aspects of Indian culture, including yoga, Ayurveda, Indian cuisine, dance forms, cinema etc., continue to remain popular in Russia. With growing affinity between the two countries, there is a renewed interest in Indology in Russia. A new India and a new Russia are rediscovering each other through initiatives such as the Ganga-Volga Dialogue of Civilization held in New Delhi in January 2020. There was active support from our Russian friends for events organised as part of the celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, including President Putin’s contribution to a special volume of tributes by world leaders.
The philosophical traditions of India and Russia have impacted each other for centuries. The exchange of letters between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy on non-violence, truth and the human spirit continue to inspire us even today and are a subject of academic discourse in both countries. In line with our emphasis on greater engagement with Russia, we intend to have an agreement on the exchange of 5 diplomats per year between India and Russia for short-term training courses. We also intend to step up our cooperation through Buddhist centres of learning and philosophy.
My very best wishes to our young friends and colleagues present here today. You are entering the world of diplomacy at a critical stage in international politics. This is a time of great dynamism as well as great uncertainty, with a trend towards multi-polarity and global re-balancing. Russia will definitely play its traditional and destined role as a major power and strategic actor. You are embarking on a long and exciting journey; one which India will walk in step with you.
I would once again thank Amb. Yakovenko for his invitation to address the Diplomatic Academy. I would like to wish success to the alumni of this great and prestigious institution in further strengthening the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
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