Relations between Ukraine and India, the world’s second most populous country, have shown little if any progress in the past five-seven years. After the president of India visited Ukraine in 2005, there has been no top-level political dialog. Why official Kyiv neglected to place this dynamically developing country (the world’s fourth in terms of purchasing power parity – or PPP) on the political agenda is anyone’s guess. Now that President Yanukovych is to visit India in early December, the situation appears to be changing for the better.
What are the prospects of Ukraine-India cooperation? More on this in the following exclusive interview with Oleksandr SHEVCHENKO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of India (who recently took part in a conference of heads of Ukraine’s diplomatic missions in Kyiv).
China is generally described as the world’s second biggest factory after the United States. What about India, apart from the world’s largest democracy cliche?
“Cliche or not, India ranks with the world’s largest democracies and strongest economies. This country has a big manpower potential. Cheap manpower attracts manufacturers from all over the world. I’d describe this country as ‘Incredible India’ – a word combination that originates from that country. India is incredible, indeed, with its age-old culture, traditions, and economic potential.”
Experts say China is using cheap manpower as a powerful impetus to exports, while India is focusing on domestic market demand.
“India’s GDP growth rate has shown a dozen-fold increase in the past 10-15 years, owing to the reforms started by Prime Minister Singh in the early 1990s, also owing to India’s inner resources, including manpower.”
What is India’s current status?
“We are all gripped by an economic and financial crisis. India is no exception. Certain reforms are being slowed down and this is having a negative effect on India’s economic status. The growth rate has decreased, but remains sufficiently high, compared to that in Europe.”
Would you care to comment on these reforms?
“To begin with, the Indian government has launched a number of global range projects that have to do with infrastructure and energy in the first place, and are meant to radically change India’s economic landscape, turning that country into the world’s major economy. I will mention several of them: 12 national investment and industrial areas, or so-called industrial megacities. This project covers 37,000 km and costs one trillion dollars. Add here a 75 billion dollars national project aimed at building highways and upgrading the existing ones; a 90 million dollars one for the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor (envisaging the construction of industrial cities, after the Chinese development model); add here projects meant to increase the seaports’ capacity, build 2,600 MW hydropower facilities.”
Singh appears to have been losing ratings of late. Why? Faulty reforms?
“Prime Minister Singh is held in esteem in India, primarily because he was the first to initiate the reforms that have since made it possible to liberalize that country’s economy and raise it to a major international level. The Indian government is being attacked by opposition, following a series of scandalous corruption exposes over the past two or three years, involving separate Cabinet members. Most in India believe the prime minister is uninvolved. Opposition is accusing him of having failed to show enough resolve in the struggle against corruption.”
How would you describe India’s public opinion in regard to corruption?
“Corruption is among the negative factors that can damage the government’s image in the public eye, as well as the domestic situation because of the mismanagement of resources [funds]. In this world’s largest democracy, such scandalous information becomes public knowledge before long. It starts being discussed by the media. All such corruption schemes are eventually exposed, with the Cabinet members involved being brought to justice. A number of such court hearings have been covered by the media.”
There are media reports about New Delhi debating the possibility of altering India’s foreign policy, that the time has allegedly come to change its non-aligned status. If so, what kind of changes could be expected and why?
“The actual situation is somewhat different. India does not intend to discard its non-aligned status, and what you refer to is an opinion on the part of independent experts who specialize in international relations, particularly those who are studying India’s role in the 21st century. Suppose we refer to this as a topic of debate, instead of just saying that India is going to change this status. India is one of the founding fathers of the Non-Aligned Movement. It is also true that India, like so many other countries, is looking for the right path to follow. It is collaborating with international bodies on a regional and global basis. India has broached the matter of equal membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. India also wants to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
You’ve mentioned several global projects planned by India. Do you think Ukraine could get involved and benefit from any such project?
“Ukrainian construction companies could be involved in such projects concerning infrastructures, highways, and hydropower plants – I mean fields of endeavor where Ukraine has accumulated experience and can supply India’s market quality domestically made products.”
Anything being done along these lines?
“We have such products. We’re cooperating with India along these lines. Turboatom, for example, has completed its part in the Kudankulam nuclear plant construction project, I mean the first and the second nuclear power unit. The possibility of this company’s further participation in the Kudankulam project is being studied. Another Ukrainian company, UkrAziaBud recently signed a big-time coke battery construction contract. There are many other examples of effective business collaboration that can serve as proof that Ukraine can confidently participate in India’s global projects and tenders within the framework of the abovementioned programs.”
What about military cooperation, expectations, and realities after the Ukrainian president’s visit to India in 2002? Any progress, save for AN-32 upgrades?
“Ukraine is collaborating with India on a bilateral military and technological level. Needless to say, Ukraine has its own proposals, groundwork, and visions offer in regard to matters where these countries could effectively help each other. Apparently, there are no obstacles in the way of such cooperation. There are no serious problems in the relations between Ukraine and India. Apart from upgrading the AN-32 model, Spetstekhnoeksport, in collaboration with the Antonov Design Bureau, are studying the possibility of having AN-148, AN-158, and AN-168 included in a number of projects shortly to be announced in India.”
In terms of top-level political protocol, the president of the Republic of India last visited Ukraine in 2005. Any [diplomatic] obstacles concerning President Yanukovych’s visit this year?
“There are no obstacles. One ought to remember that there were no regular top-level visits [by the Ukrainian head of state] to Asian countries in 2004-09, except for [South] Korea and Japan. Stepping up cooperation with India, raising it to the highest political level is uppermost on Ukraine’s political agenda. The Ukrainian foreign minister’s visit to India last November marked an important stage in this process. During the visit, bilateral cooperation was analyzed and prospects and trends outlined. The result was a fresh impetus to cooperation. After a seven-year interval, the Ukraine-India Intergovernmental Commission held a sitting toward the end of May. Arrangements were made for the speakers’ visits. The issue of the Ukrainian president’s visit to India was agreed upon in principle.”
President Yanukovych and the Ukrainian delegation will visit Mumbai on December 10 to attend a business forum.
“You seem to know more than I do (laughing).”
What does official Kyiv expect from this visit?
“Both sides are working on the main points on the agenda, considering that a number of agreements are to be signed, including visa procedures, military, technological, and scientific cooperation.”
How did you manage to adjust to the Indian climate and cuisine?
“The way they cook was easier than the way their climate works.”
Apparently your dishes weren’t washed using vodka the way media allege Vladimir Putin’s were treated for the duration of his presidential visit?
“No, they weren’t, although we know about the problems with hygiene, sanitation, running water, and certain products.”
What about acclimatization?
“Acclimating in India is always a challenge for one originating from Ukraine. They say in India that there are only three seasons. Compared to our four seasons, one must adjust to India’s winter, summer, and monsoon seasons. Spring in India is a brief period, when the trees and flowers are blossoming, followed by a long heat wave. India’s winter presents other problems, including the absence of central heating, so staying indoors is harder to endure than minus five to ten Centigrade in Ukraine. Then comes India’s spring, another brief spectacular period that will make you feel differently… Seriously, the main point is that India is incredible. It is like a state within a state. ‘Incredible India’ is all you can say.”
Some experts point to a similarity between Ukrainian and Sanskrit. What do you think?
“There are very interesting studies that point to puzzling similarities between various languages, like words that resemble each other in Old Slavic, modern Ukrainian, and Sanskrit. Some of my New Delhi colleagues from Eastern Europe used to say as much.”
Any examples?
“Sure. Tata-tato [“tato” stands for father/daddy in Ukr.; similar bracketed explanations below. – Ed.]; matar-matir [mother]; tatasama-toi samy [same]; nava-novy [new]; dzhiti-zhyty [to live]; agni-vohon [fire/flames], and so on.”
