RIA Novosti Interview with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman on Foreign Minister's visit to India, June 14, 2003

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Department of Information and Press

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Daily News Bulletin

16.06.2003

RIA Novosti Interview with Russian Foreign Ministry Official Spokesman Aleksander Yakovenko in Connection with the Upcoming Visit by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to India

1399-14-06-2003

What are the prime tasks of Igor Ivanov's visit to India?

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will pay an official visit to India on June 16th. His visit is another important step towards the enhancement of Russo-Indian strategic partnership. Igor Ivanov is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior Lal Krishna Advani, and his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha.

It is necessary to note that in the light of the rapidly developing situation in the world the importance of Russo-Indian strategic partnership acquires a new meaning. The threats to international, regional and national security of all states have obviously changed. Russia and India are concerned about the dangerous tendency for unilateral actions in international relations and stand for the development of a multidimensional democratic world and formation of a new system of international security with the UN playing the central role therein.

Russia and India have reached a high level of bilateral interaction in various spheres. Does it means that the talks in New Delhi will mainly focus on the ways of their development?

It certainly does. The talks in New Delhi will focus on present-day conditions of Russo-Indian co-operation and on the prospects of its further development. The implementation of the agreements, reached in the course of the official visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to India in December of 2002 will be at the top of the talks' agenda. It is also planned to determine the next steps towards further development of bilateral co-operation.

While positively estimating the positive tendencies in bilateral trade and economic relations, Russia and India speak for the necessity of joint efforts concerning the increase in trade volumes, improvement of trade structure by means of heavy involvement of high-tech products, formation of a favourable background for the growth in investment co-operation, industrial co-operation, enhancement of contacts at the level of small and middle business.

It is noteworthy that another proof of advance in Russo-Indian strategic partnership in the sphere of military-political relations was the recent full-scale military exercises of the Russian and Indian navies in the Indian Ocean.

The interaction between Russia and India on the world arena plays an important role in regional and global security and stability. What are the two countries' priorities of interaction in the Asian region?

Russia and India attach high importance to the security and co-operation issues in the Asian-Pacific region and speak for further increasing the role of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum for security issues as an instrument of multipartite political dialogue in the region.

The development of the trilateral Russo-Indo-Chinese dialogue initiated at the informal meeting between the foreign ministers in the course of the 57th UN General Assembly in New York is also of a particular value. Co-operation between Russia, India and China may become a workable format for international and regional stability and counteraction to the threats and challenges of modernity.

Which of the international key issues will be included in the agenda of the Russo-Indian negotiations?

Igor Ivanov plans to discuss bilateral co-operation concerning such international issues as the fight against international terrorism and religious extremism, ensuring international security and regional stability, enhancement of the UN central co-ordinating role in international affairs, settlement of the situation in Iraq and on the Korean peninsula in connection with North Korea's implementation of its nuclear program, the peace settlement in Afghanistan and current state of affairs in the Middle East.

The current situation in the South Asia will also be discussed. Moscow welcomes the recent statements of the Indian government concerning its readiness to take the necessary measures in order to normalise its relations with Islamabad. Russia believes that the implementation of the New Delhi's plans concerning the resumption of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, restoration of air and bus transportation between the two states, will contribute to the settlement of the present Indian and Pakistani discords by means of peaceful dialogue. This will correspond to the interests of both India and Pakistan and contribute to the development of peace and security in the South Asian region.

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