sasi
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Ukraine makes a mistake by not considering India a priority country /ÄÅÍÜ/
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The topic of military-technical cooperation between India andRussia is of interest for Ukraine because of the three facts. First, India is the world's largest importer of arms. Second, 50 to 70 percent of these weapons aresupplied to India by Russia. Third, the president of Ukraine will visit India from December 10 to 12. Ukraine is a country that could also qualify for more serious positions among the suppliersof military equipment to India. But it seems that it does not. Why is it so?
Although lately Russian suppliers started to feel less confident in this market (because now they have to participate in tenders, which means that they have to fight for a place under the sun on a competitive basis), India admits that there is still a huge influence of the Kremlin. And this influence is surely disturbing when you see, for example, the court trial over the Pussy Riot case and the fact that the chances for the development of democracy in Russia rapidly move into the abyss. By the way, less than two weeks after Viktor Yanukovych's visit to New Delhi, Vladimir Putin will come there as well. Political contactsbetween India and Russia are much closer than those between India and Ukraine.
Indian journalist Vishal Thapar has been covering the topic of defense for many years. For more than a decade he has worked in one of the most prestigious and oldest Indian newspapers Hindustan Times, he has also worked for the English-speaking Indian news channel CNN IBN. Since 2010 he has been the editor of the recently established news channel NewsX, his subject isdefense and strategic affairs.
We began our conversation with the history of relations between India and Russia, which, in fact, resulted from the Cold War. Actually, there is a feeling that in India the topic of the Cold War has not yet been closed.
"Partly India-USSR relations are a product of the Cold War.A very important factor was that throughout history there has been no area where these two countries were in conflict, but Western denial toIndia definitely re-imposed theSoviet-India partnership of that time.
"There was another reason. Huge majority of the Indian political leadership after Indian's independence in 1947was educated in Britain. Britain was never a communistcountry. But among the intellectuals of those times 'leftism' was an intellectual fad. Indians who went to studythere were also influenced, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indian communists. Most of Indian communist leaders camefrom extremely rich families, and during education in Britainpicked up ideology and practiced communism here. The ideas of the intellectual elite in Britain also played a very important role. Yes, the British left in 1947, but it was still India's window into the world.
"And, in a manner of speaking, if somebody colonizes India after the British left, it was the Soviet Union. Soviets were everywhere, from the steel plants to the power plants, to the military hardware, to the construction technology. Theyhad a very special place hereand they managed to work thesystem. There wasn't a very close relationship on people-to-people level, but there was a great relationship on the government-to-government level. I don't want to use the word 'alliance,' because India wouldnever agree to any alliance, but in practice it was.
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"Then, after the USSR collapsed, Russia was extremely busy with itself. Relations with India weren't a top priority. But when Putin became the president, India and Russia signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2000. You must understand that India was also a very bigmarket for Russia and they wanted to protect their interests. Russia's big USP – unique selling proposition – is: 'I'll give you whatever youwant! I'll give you all those things which nobody in the world is prepared to give you!' In April this year India inducted into its Navy a Russian nuclear powered submarine Akula. We call it Chakra. This is Russian submarine, leased to India. When it has been inducted, Russian Ambassador Kadakin was there and he said: 'Whichother country in the world will give you this? Don't count me along with the others! They are not my competition! – As many were talking about US, and France, and Israel. – They are out of my competition! Which country in the world will give you this?' – He said it in so many words"¦
~
The topic of military-technical cooperation between India andRussia is of interest for Ukraine because of the three facts. First, India is the world's largest importer of arms. Second, 50 to 70 percent of these weapons aresupplied to India by Russia. Third, the president of Ukraine will visit India from December 10 to 12. Ukraine is a country that could also qualify for more serious positions among the suppliersof military equipment to India. But it seems that it does not. Why is it so?
Although lately Russian suppliers started to feel less confident in this market (because now they have to participate in tenders, which means that they have to fight for a place under the sun on a competitive basis), India admits that there is still a huge influence of the Kremlin. And this influence is surely disturbing when you see, for example, the court trial over the Pussy Riot case and the fact that the chances for the development of democracy in Russia rapidly move into the abyss. By the way, less than two weeks after Viktor Yanukovych's visit to New Delhi, Vladimir Putin will come there as well. Political contactsbetween India and Russia are much closer than those between India and Ukraine.
Indian journalist Vishal Thapar has been covering the topic of defense for many years. For more than a decade he has worked in one of the most prestigious and oldest Indian newspapers Hindustan Times, he has also worked for the English-speaking Indian news channel CNN IBN. Since 2010 he has been the editor of the recently established news channel NewsX, his subject isdefense and strategic affairs.
We began our conversation with the history of relations between India and Russia, which, in fact, resulted from the Cold War. Actually, there is a feeling that in India the topic of the Cold War has not yet been closed.
"Partly India-USSR relations are a product of the Cold War.A very important factor was that throughout history there has been no area where these two countries were in conflict, but Western denial toIndia definitely re-imposed theSoviet-India partnership of that time.
"There was another reason. Huge majority of the Indian political leadership after Indian's independence in 1947was educated in Britain. Britain was never a communistcountry. But among the intellectuals of those times 'leftism' was an intellectual fad. Indians who went to studythere were also influenced, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indian communists. Most of Indian communist leaders camefrom extremely rich families, and during education in Britainpicked up ideology and practiced communism here. The ideas of the intellectual elite in Britain also played a very important role. Yes, the British left in 1947, but it was still India's window into the world.
"And, in a manner of speaking, if somebody colonizes India after the British left, it was the Soviet Union. Soviets were everywhere, from the steel plants to the power plants, to the military hardware, to the construction technology. Theyhad a very special place hereand they managed to work thesystem. There wasn't a very close relationship on people-to-people level, but there was a great relationship on the government-to-government level. I don't want to use the word 'alliance,' because India wouldnever agree to any alliance, but in practice it was.
~
"Then, after the USSR collapsed, Russia was extremely busy with itself. Relations with India weren't a top priority. But when Putin became the president, India and Russia signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2000. You must understand that India was also a very bigmarket for Russia and they wanted to protect their interests. Russia's big USP – unique selling proposition – is: 'I'll give you whatever youwant! I'll give you all those things which nobody in the world is prepared to give you!' In April this year India inducted into its Navy a Russian nuclear powered submarine Akula. We call it Chakra. This is Russian submarine, leased to India. When it has been inducted, Russian Ambassador Kadakin was there and he said: 'Whichother country in the world will give you this? Don't count me along with the others! They are not my competition! – As many were talking about US, and France, and Israel. – They are out of my competition! Which country in the world will give you this?' – He said it in so many words"¦