The Hindu Business Line : Move to B2B relations: Russian Ambassador

Mr Vyacheslay I Trubnikov, Russian Ambassador to India, flanked by Mr Sudhir Sanghi, Co-Chairman of FICCI, AP, and Ms Lakshmi Parthasarathy, Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, at a FICCI organised luncheon meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday. — Satish H

Hyderabad , Sept. 14

RUSSIA has called for a shift in bilateral trade from State-to-State relations to business-to-business relations to trigger growth in trade volumes.

For long, the bilateral agreements were based on State-to-State relations. This, however, needed to be changed, Mr Vyacheslav I Trubnikov, Russian Ambassador to India, said.

Addressing an interactive meeting with members of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), he said seller-to-buyer model should also be changed to a new system of economic agreements where mutual production, marketing, licensing and research arrangements were made. "This is the future," Mr Trubnikov said.

He called for efforts to set up a Russian-Indian techno park or IT park to synergise the expertise. Hyderabad has emerged as an international informational technology hub.

"Russia is also a well-established centre of IT business. It would be quite natural for us to join efforts and set up a Russian-India technopark," Mr Trubnikov said.

He was leading a business delegation from Russia to Andhra Pradesh.

Russian companies had huge expertise and latest technologies in the area of infrastructure development, gas, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, agricultural research, mining and metallurgy.

"They are not just internationally competitive but also offer best conditions for long-term cooperation," he said.

With specific reference to Andhra Pradesh, he said the Russian infrastructure companies could help in strengthening transport network and establishing mass rapid transport system.

While reminding cordial Indo-Russian relations of yesteryears, he blamed it on the young breed of businessmen for undermining and ignoring the time-tested relations of the older generations.

They (younger businessmen) misinterpreted free market as some thing free from any morality or responsibility. "It took a few years before these new business leader realised the importance of re-establishing the ties," he said.

NEW VISA NORM: Russia has announced that a new visa regime would be announced by the year-end, making the procedure simpler for businessmen.

Announcing this here on Wednesday, Mr Trubnikov said a final draft of agreement in this regard was under way. He was confident that the agreement would be ready by December.

Responding to a question on easing visa regime, he said this had been an old problem and discussed at high level.

Another agreement on `readmission' too was on cards.

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