Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist October 2019 | Page 18

companies. Indian fi lm producers from the South explored
the beautiful locations of the Far East and could get a
boost with this resolve and direction by the Indian Prime
Minister. On his part, President Putin wants Indians to
take a lead in exploring business opportunities for trade
and investments as the regime framework for the investors
is being liberalised. E-visa system was introduced some
time back that would facilitate tourism from India. Given
its declining population and the Chinese infl ux, Russians
might want some semblance of diversity and balance.
Hence the Indian workforce, especially skilled ones that
has already made its mark from the Middle East to Africa
to the western countries and is sought after, has been
welcomed into the Far-East.
A large Business delegation attended the EEF.
Earlier Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal
with four States’ Chief Ministers had led a delegation
of 140 businessmen and industrialists. Hopefully, they
would fi nd the extreme weather hospitable too as some
of our compatriots have done for decades. Indications
are right since 50 business-to-business (B2B) MoUs and
agreements worth $ 5 bn were signed at the EEF apart
from 15 government-to-government (G2G) pacts. A trade
target of US $30 bn (from current $11 bn) has been set
for 2025. One of the key outcomes was the roadmap for
energy cooperation as mentioned by Foreign Secretary
Vijay Gokhale, “We had a major breakthrough in the
energy sector. This is a sector from where we are looking
to diversify our sources of supply and we are increasingly
fi nding it attractive to buy oil and gas from the Russian
Federation. But one of the important outcomes of the
visit of the minister of Petroleum and Natural gas last
week was that we agreed on a road-map of cooperation
in the next fi ve years in which we will concretely work
on investments both ways. Indian investment in Russian
fi elds, in exploration and exploitation, in the transportation
of energy to India as well as Russian investments in India
in the downstream sectors. We are looking at investing in
additional oil fi elds in Russia in what is called the eastern
cluster. We are also looking at sourcing energy and in this
regard, President Putin has also acknowledged that there
is a need for us to look at how they can supply Russian
energy to India in a safe, secure and in a way in which
costs are maintained.”
This is extremely important in the context of on-going
Persian Gulf Crisis. However, it will need the grit of the
businesses on the two sides and the sincere resolve of
both the governments right down to the operative levels
to productively harness the opportunities to mutual
advantage. The past is not a great example looking at the
Super CEOs Round Table or so-called Business Councils
where even Chairs can’t fi nd time to attend the meetings
especially when the top leaders are not there. Similarly
for government-driven approaches and announcements,
especially in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), matrix
it is important that the offi cial representations of the two
countries get into a mission mode to explain and advertise
the real opportunities among the businesses across various
regional clusters and how to go about it. One has seen
the conferences and visits for far too long to produce
the desired results but this time it should be doable with
‘Modi-Putin Combine’ at the helm of aff airs and all the
right mix of ingredients present on the ground.
Politically the relations probably are at their best as
President Putin has met his match in Prime Minister Modi
who takes decisions with clarity of purpose that was clearly
evident in India going ahead with S-400 purchases and
other deals despite US objections and sanctions and Russia
articulating its clear support to India on the abrogation
of Art 370 as “India’s internal matter”. Russia has been
concerned with the increasing purchases of the US defence
equipment and diversifi cation by India but that is the name
of the game. Relations with the US have enriched and
diversifi ed at a great pace. But both the US and Russia
need to understand that as long as we have to contend with
treacherous terrorism driven Pakistan and an adversarial
China, India’s defence pie will keep on expanding.
To quote from a diff erent context, ironically, Xi Jin Ping
speaking of South Asia as, “there will be a place for both
of them – Russia and America”. Both have fl irted with the
Americans but like Trump’s America First Policy, India
and Russia have to cater to their national interests too. Of
course one cannot forget the ‘Dragon’ in the room that is
all-pervasive, and the deeper engagement with Pakistan
by Russia in strategic sectors, even if under the garb of
Afghanistan, remain the points of concern. However, the
epithets of “Brath (Brother) - Bhai” or “Biryoza (Birch)
and the Banyan” (title of an authentic compendium
on Indo-Russian relations by Vladimir Skosyerev
published in 2002 and updated a decade later) used to
display the inherent strength of the relationship must be
calibrated to real-politic so as to avoid emotional hiccups
since transactional relationships and diversifi cation of
partnerships have become the norm in the international
discourse.
As long as there is “increasing trust” as mentioned
by PM Modi in Vladivostok, Indo-Russia ties are bound
to swing higher, rightly described as a Special and
Privileged Strategic Partnership. The third decade of closer
collaboration begins in the backdrop of great power game,
especially in the context of Indo-Pacifi c where India is
poised to play a bigger role. 
* Author is a former Ambassador of India to Jordan,
Libya and Malta and is the Distinguished Fellow,
Vivekananda International Foundation
This article was first published by Vivekananda
International Foundation
18 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 10 • October 2019, Noida