New Delhi
12 May 2008
The "tandem" of new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and new
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is the best guarantee of continuing strategic
partnership between India and Russia, according to Russian Ambassador to India
Vyacheslav Trubnikov.
Mr Trubnikov's remarks come at a time when Russia is seeking to cement its defence
relationship with India and also boost civil nuclear cooperation.
Russia has bid for India's largest ever global military tender to acquire 126 fighters for
an estimated 10 billion dollars. India and Russia have finalised plans for building four
additional nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. India is also seeking delivery
of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov).
Mr Trubnikov hoped a new dynamism will be injected into the bilateral relationship in the
tenure of President Medvedev. "My hunch is more attention will be paid to the
development of economic relations because business ties still lag political relations," he
said in an interaction with this newspaper.
On the Gorshkov deal, Mr Trubnikov said, "It (negotiation) is going in a positive
direction." He felt the "origin" of the problems in the Gorshkov deal is "objective, not
subjective" and attributed the problems in part to the economic situation.
The "huge political goodwill" on both sides will enable resolution of all outstanding
issues of the Gorshkov deal and certain difficulties that exist will be resolved to mutual
satisfaction, he added.
Under a contract worth 1.5 billion dollars signed in 2003, Russia was to deliver the
aircraft carrier in 2007. Moscow has since sought an additional 1.2 billion dollars, citing
more work needed to be done on the aircraft carrier.
The Russian envoy said President Medvedev has accepted Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's invitation to visit India and the dates were being worked out through diplomatic
channels. According to Ministry of External Affairs sources, the new Russian President
can be expected to visit India this year.
President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have congratulated Mr
Medvedev on his inauguration. In his letter of felicitations, the Prime Minister wished Mr
Medvedev every success in his high responsibilities and said India draws immense
satisfaction from its strategic partnership with Russia.
Mr Trubnikov said security and economic cooperation will top the agenda of the trilateral
India-Russia-China foreign ministers' meeting, to be held from May 14 in the Russian
city of Yekaterinburg. Reform of the United Nations (UN) will be discussed, too.
"Reformation and democratisation of UN will definitely be discussed," he said. India, a
rising power, has a natural right to be in the UN Security Council (UNSC) but India's
quest for a permament UNSC seat does not depend on the attitude or support from
Russia or China alone, he cautioned.
"It is not a simple thing ... it demands unified approach of the international community,"
he suggested. He hoped the trilateral meeting will serve to improve bilateral relations
among the three countries, particularly between India and China. "It will offer an extra
opportunity to meet and talk eye to eye," he said.
The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China will also meet with their Brazilian
counterpart, Mr Celso Amorim, to make it the first foreign minister-level talks among the
BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China) countries.
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