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One old friend is better than two new ones: Viktor Zubkov

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Viktor Zubkov: “We will carry forward the dialogue” —

Ahead of his first visit to India on February 11-13 Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov replied to written questions from The Hindu. Excerpts from the interview:

Our two countries are engaged in vigorous political dialogue. We will carry forward this dialogue during my visit. Russian-Indian cooperation is diverse and multi-faceted and we have many subjects for discussion. Opening of the Year of Russia in India will be a high point of my visit.

The programme of the Year of Russia, which will be followed by the Year of India in Russia, includes about 150 events — culture festivals, national exhibitions, book fairs, conferences and seminars involving academics and businessmen, as well as youth and sports meetings. We hope this programme will give the people of India a fuller and better view of today’s Russia and its achievements, facilitate broader people-to-people contact, and lend a strong impulse for further advance of multi-range strategic partnership between Russia and India.

One should not over-dramatise the situation [with the low level of trade]. Trade figures are not the main thing. What is important is the quality of ties, and here things look quite comfortable. Engineering and science-based products account for a large share of our trade.

As for the trade turnover, we are actively working jointly with our Indian partners to expand it. An important role in these efforts belongs to “traditional” bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific-Technical and Cultural Cooperation, as well as to new mechanisms, such as the Russian-Indian Forum for trade and investment, a second session of which we will inaugurate with Mr. Singh.

Joint efforts are yielding positive results. Bilateral trade, which stood at $3.1 billion in 2005, was expected to exceed $5 billion in 2007 — an increase of more than 50 per cent, including about 30 per cent in 2007. Our task is to maintain this growth rate and achieve the target of $10 billion by 2010.

Under the current first stage of Sakhalin-1 India has taken delivery of 28 oil tankers or about 2.5 million tons of crude. Both ONGC and its Russian partner Rosneft have a highly positive view on their cooperation in the project. They have reached agreement to expand cooperation in Russia, India and in third countries. We see no obstacles to Indian business joining new projects in this sphere. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Russia, and I’d like to stress it, is an observer, not a victim of this crisis. Our economy has been steadily and effectively growing even in unfavourable external conditions. Today, when many countries are struggling to overcome the crisis we are drawing up long-term development plans. Russia’s strategic goal is to join the top five nations for the size of GDP by 2020. We are keen to attract large foreign investments to help achieve this goal.

All necessary conditions have been created in our country for foreign investors. The main conditions are political and economic stability. Three types of special economic zones are being formed in Russia specializing in production, innovation and tourism-cum-recreation.

Complementarities of our economies give much scope for cooperation. India’s achievements in science and technology are impressive and its potential in this sphere is still greater. They say that 45 percent of software specialists in the world are Indians and their skills are legendary. There are many opportunities for Indian investments in Russia’s science-based sectors, where large state entities, such as the Nanotechnology Corporation, have been set up.

Infrastructure is another promising area for investment in Russia. To facilitate long-term private investments Russia has established an investment fund and a bank for development. We are also planning to attract foreign capital for regional development. Siberia, the Far East and the Sochi region, where the 2014 Winter Olympics will be held, are exciting destinations for forward-looking investors.

Our long-term goal is to completely abandon reliance on natural resources and build a diversified highly competitive economy based on advanced technologies. We have the resources and are looking forward to broader foreign participation in this endeavour.

India evokes most positive feelings among Russians. For all the differences in history and traditions between Russia and India we are very close to each other. There is growing interest in Russia towards India today. New cultural centres for the study of Indian music, literature, dance and cuisine are springing up across Russia. But our knowledge of modern-day realities in each other’s country is still inadequate. I am sure the Year of Russia, which we will inaugurate on Tuesday, and the Year of India in Russia next year will help bridge the information gap.

For us India is a trusted friend. There is a saying in Russia: “One old friend is better than two new ones.”

It is with this feeling that I embark on my first visit to India.

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One old friend is better than two new ones: Viktor Zubkov

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