Strengthening Indo-Ukrainian Ties: Dr. Yogesh Srivastav Discusses Expectations with Ambassador Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk Ahead of PM Modi’s Visit to Kyiv
1. Expectations from Modi’s Visit
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: What are Ukraine’s key expectations and objectives from Prime Minister Modi’s proposed visit to Kyiv?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: I think both countries have big expectations for this historic visit. It is the first visit of the Prime Minister of India to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations. We believe it will result in further deepening of our ties in many spheres from economy and trade to education and culture.
2. Bilateral Relations
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: How do you see the current state of Ukraine-India relations, and how can PM Modi’s visit enhance them?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: Our bilateral dialogue since the start of Russian full-scale aggression against Ukraine is conducted permanently and on different levels.
I would like to emphasize that Ukraine highly appreciates India’s unwavering support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and constant participation in the talks of national security advisors on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
Phone conversations between the President of Ukraine and the PM of India, the NSA to the PM of India, and the Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine became regular. Heads of state also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy in June of this year.
In March this year, our Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited India for the invitation of his Indian counterpart EAM Dr.S.Jaishankar. During this visit we held a special meeting of the Ukrainian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission. During April-August 2024 we organised several meetings of our joint working groups in different spheres.
I can conclude by saying that we have a very active dialogue and look forward to further enhancement following the results of the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Ukraine.
3. Economic Cooperation
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: What economic opportunities do you foresee between Ukraine and India, especially in terms of trade, investment, and collaboration in sectors like technology, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, India was Ukraine’s largest export destination in the Indo-Pacific and the fifth-largest overall export destination. In 2021, trade with India reached a record of 3.45 billion US dollars.
In 2022 and 2023, due to the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, there was a reduction in bilateral trade. Both sides are working tirelessly to bring the numbers to pre-war level.
Recently we conducted the 5th meeting of the working group on Trade and Economic Cooperation. We managed to identify many areas of common interest for the promotion of our trade and investment cooperation, in particular in the banking sphere and digital finance, IT, privatization, critical materials, railway industry, etc.
We are interested in expanding cooperation in various fields. Namely, reciprocal investments and establishment of joint ventures in mechanical engineering, machinery, metallurgy, IT, development of seaport and railway infrastructure, etc.
We also invite Indian companies to consider investing in sectors such as renewable energy, transport, logistics, and biofuel production. After all, they will be the drivers of the growth of the Ukrainian economy after the war.
Today is a favorable time for deepening our economic cooperation through mechanisms of mutually beneficial investments, exchange of modern technologies, and joint production of the most technological products. Especially taking into account the experience gained by Ukraine over the past two and half years of resilience.
We also invite India, as our reliable partner and the voice of Global South, to become a stakeholder in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Post-war rebuilding of Ukraine is the most ambitious project which is supported by our partners and allies. We welcome Indian companies to be part of this massive effort that is expected to run into billions of dollars.
4. Defense Collaboration
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: Are there any plans for defense cooperation between Ukraine and India? How could this visit catalyze such collaboration?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: Ukraine remains one of the main suppliers of spare parts for weapons in India. Taking into account the experience we gained while resisting Russian aggression, we have opportunities to increase bilateral military-technical cooperation both at the state and private levels.
Ukraine is also one of the few countries in the world that can help India to get its wings, practically. We are ready for cooperation in the field of aviation. Our previous record of collaboration in this domain proves this statement.
5. Humanitarian Assistance
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: What kind of humanitarian assistance or support do you expect from India in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk We are deeply grateful to the people and the Government, businesses, and people of India for providing continuous humanitarian aid, which saves the lives of Ukrainians.
This aid included hundreds of tons of medicines, medical equipment, blankets, tents, tarpaulin, solar lamps, dignity kits, sleeping mats, and diesel generator sets.
We hope that India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Ukraine to overcome the humanitarian crisis caused by Russian aggression.
6. Cultural Exchange and Educational Cooperation
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: How can cultural and educational exchanges between Ukraine and India be strengthened through this visit? Are there any cultural programs or student exchange initiatives planned in conjunction with PM Modi’s visit?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: We are looking into deepening our cultural cooperation. We are very glad that during the visit of Minister Kuleba to India it was agreed by the parties to create a Joint Working Group on Cultural Cooperation. The first meeting was conducted on August 20.
We hope there will be lots of exchanges shortly which will further deepen the people-to-people contacts between Ukraine and India and build deeper understanding between our nations.
We are looking into the possibility of opening a Ukrainian studies center at the top Indian universities. This will create a new impetus for deepening the links between our countries.
We are ready to cooperate with interested Indian universities and our Ministry of Education will provide the necessary assistance and expertise.
7. Indian Students in Ukraine
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: What are the steps of the Ukrainian government to attract students from India to study in Ukrainian universities?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: In 2022, before the invasion, number of Indian students studying in Ukrainian universities (mostly medical) was exceeding 22000. In January 2023 this number reduced to nearly 14500.
We are proud that Indians chose Ukraine as a destination for their higher studies. This confirms the fact that Ukraine is the right place to get high-quality education which will be applicable anywhere in the world.
We are fully optimistic that we will continue, even in such circumstances, conducting all the educational programs in Ukraine. For this purpose, the government shifted part of the educational facilities into safer areas in the western regions of Ukraine. These steps create motivation for Indian students to continue their studies in our country.
8. Regional and Global Issues
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: How can India and Ukraine collaborate on addressing regional and global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, and global health crises? What is Ukraine’s stance on India’s role in global organizations like the United Nations?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: India proved to play a constructive and fair role in the global arena. The peace-loving nature of your country was also encrypted in the motto of India’s G20 presidency: “One Earth. One Family. One Future”.
We in Ukraine fully support the philosophy of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi that the 21st century is not the era of war. Taking into consideration India’s growing role as a global leader, and its ambition to become a UN Security Council permanent member, which Ukraine fully supports, India has to play its unique role in peacebuilding.
We also welcome India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). I believe that Ukraine should consider joining these important and timely initiatives.
9. Ambassador’s Perspective
Dr. Yogesh Srivastav: From your perspective, what are the most significant achievements in India-Ukraine relations to date? What personal messages or hopes do you have for PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv?
H.E. Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk: It has been 1 year since I was appointed by the President of Ukraine for the position of Ambassador. During this period we managed to restart the existing mechanisms of bilateral cooperation and create new ones.
From 2012 we established a comprehensive partnership between Ukraine and India. I believe, that the visit of Prime Minister Modi will bring us closer to a strategic partnership. This is our aim and we will work restlessly to achieve it.
I am confident that the friendship between Ukraine and India will grow stronger, fostering development in different spheres based on mutual trust and respect, and advancing our partnership for the benefit of our nations and the global community.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate the people of India on the 77th Independence anniversary!
I wish the people of India peace, harmony, and prosperity!
Namaste!