The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh meeting with the Prime Minister of Russia, Mr. Viktor A. Zubkov, in New Delhi on
February 12, 2008.
2008 began in India-Russia relations just as 2007 ended – with a bang. Close on the heels of the successful visit of the Indian Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh to Moscow in November 2007, Russian Prime Minister Mr. Victor Zubkov led a high-level delegation of Russian Ministers, senior officials, and businessmen to India during February 12-13, 2008. The Russian Premier inaugurated the ‘Year of Russia in India’ together with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an impressive ceremony at the ramparts of the Red Fort on February 12. Delhi and other Indian cities will hope to see the best of Russian arts and culture in India between now and December 2008. Mr. Zubkov met Prime Minister, and called on the President and the Vice-President. He also had substantive meetings with our External Affairs Minister, Finance Minister and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Russian Premier’s visit to India was also timed to coincide with the second session of the India-Russia Forum on Trade and Investment. The event witnessed the participation of over 500 business representatives from the public and private sector in both countries, and resulted in two outcomes that can be considered significant: firstly, it was decided to establish a CEOs Council which will be akin to a Joint Business Council. This should kick-start and provide effective ignition for the “B2B” interaction. It is a timely initiative since, over time, the trade relationship between the two countries will need to be determined by the burgeoning private entrepreneurs in both countries.
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Secondly, a joint task force (JTF) will now monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the joint study group for taking the trade and economic relations between the two countries to newer highs by removing the impediments to bilateral trade and commerce. The JTF will also examine the feasibility of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation agreement (CECA). The trade and investment forum resulted in the Captains of Indian and Russian industry and finance coming together to discuss prospects of working together in IT, financial services, power and energy sector, and other key spheres as transport, infrastructure, metallurgy and mining. Significantly, Premier Zubkov’s India visit coincided with the Russian Vneshtorgbank (VTB) and Russian telecom and services conglomerate giant Sistema inaugurating their representative offices in the Indian Capital.
All in all, the Russian Premier’s visit did have a significant focus on trade and economic cooperation, and should help both countries to march in tandem in realizing the goals laid down by the political leadership in both India and Russia in further advancing their partnership. The rock-solid foundation provided by the close and friendly relations that the two countries have enjoyed over the past six decades will help businesses in both countries to similarly move forward and advance cooperation in sectors ranging from energy to aviation, and metallurgy to the power and engineering sector.
The documents that have been concluded between India and Russia during the visit can be accessed at the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs at www.mea.gov.in.
February 2008 also witnessed the visit to Moscow of Shri Vijay Singh, the Defence Secretary of India, during February 19-24. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation, and had useful meetings with his counterparts in Moscow and officials from the Russian Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), and the Rosoboronexport (RoE) among others. In addition to visiting Russian enterprises involved in the bilateral military-technical cooperation with India, Shri Vijay Singh had useful interactions at the Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk (where INS Vikramaditya – Admiral Gorshkov- is being retro-fitted), and with senior officials at the Russian aircraft Corporation MiG. |
