Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist October 2019 | Page 34

In Rendezvous with
“We are working on the re-establishment of f the
oute”
direct Vladivostok-Chennai maritime sea route”
Mr Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy
sy
of the Russian Federation, spoke to The Diplomatist on
Russia-India cooperation and other issues.
The Joint Statement issued at the
end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
visit to Vladivostok looks at every
aspect of the relationship. What would
you consider the most significant
aspect of this meet and what was
the major outcome at the 20th India –
Russia Annual Summit?
The 20th India-Russia Annual Summit held
in Vladivostok is a remarkable development in
the history of cooperation between our two great
and friendly countries since we have opened up
a new page in our ties based on the principles of
mutual respect, understanding and support as well
as complementarity and synergy of development
strategies.
Indeed, this Joint Statement is telling that along
with traditional advanced areas of interaction such
as energy, science and technology, military and
technical partnership, extensive people-to-people
contacts, we are moving towards further expansion
of our multifaceted relations by enhancing
cooperation in the Russian Far East. Even a brief
analysis helps to conclude that potentially this is a
game-changing move.
First, we are focusing on utilizing mutually
beneficial opportunities originating from the
Far-Eastern Region, which is extremely rich in
natural resources and industrial capacities. The
Russian Government is successfully implementing
dedicated national programmes ensuring maximum
openness and economic and social integration of
this region in the Asia-Pacifi c community. For this
purpose, favourable conditions such as preferential
tax regimes and various government support
measures have been introduced in order to ensure
34 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 10 • October 2019, Noida
a very attractive business and investment climate
there. As an outcome, we see the Far East economy
has grown three to fi ve times higher than the rest
of the country – up to 23 percent in the recent fi ve
years!
So, our Leaders decided that our countries will
go together to make the Far-Eastern dimension a
new success story in the bilateral partnership. The
unprecedented announcement by Prime Minister
Modi to establish a USD 1 bn dedicated credit line
can be seen in this context.
Second, there is an obvious indication that
the Russian Far-Eastern strategy and the Indian
Act East Policy dedicated to both countries’
extended outreach to the Asia and Pacifi c Region
do complement each other very well!
As far as particular fi elds is concerned, we have
already started working out in practical terms the
possibilities of expansion of the Indian participation
in the development of hydrocarbons fi elds in the
region, including the Arctic off shore zones (oil and
natural gas reserves are still under the process of
estimation, however, it is already clear that they
would sustain for decades).
Moreover, the Leaders blessed us with clear
instructions to expand oil supplies from Russia
to India, and the relevant discussion between
the Governments and concerned companies is
well underway with the aim to prepare long term
arrangements. That would help to further diversify
the Russian export and the Indian import of
hydrocarbons.
Along with cooking coal production, gas fuel,
alternative energy, shipbuilding and diamond
industry, we also expect solid developments in the
area of regional infrastructure. The Indian partners