India–Ukraine relations

The Republic of India recognised Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and established diplomatic relations in January 1992. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv was opened in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993. The Consulate General of India in Odesa functioned from 1962 until its closure in March 1999. Ukraine is India's second largest trade partner after Russia in the former Soviet Union.

India–Ukraine relations
Map indicating locations of India and Ukraine

India
Ukraine
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of India, KyivEmbassy of Ukraine, New Delhi
Envoy
Ambassador to Ukraine, Harsh Kumar JainAmbassador to India, Igor Polikha

History

Bilateral treaties and agreements

More than 17 bilateral agreements have been signed between India and Ukraine, including agreements on Co-operation in Science and Technology, Foreign Office Consultation, Co-operation in Space Research, Avoidance of Double Taxation and Promotion and Protection of Investments. During Aero India 2021, Ukraine signed four agreements worth ₹530 crore (equivalent to ₹595 crore or US$74 million in 2023) with India which includes sale of new weapons as well as maintenance and upgrades of existing ones in service with the Indian armed forces.[1]

Trade relations

The India-Ukraine trade relation and economic co-operation has developed on the basis the long-standing friendship between the two countries. In March, 1992 the Treaty on Friendship and Co-operation was signed between India and Ukraine, providing a major boost to India-Ukraine trade relations.

Indo-Ukrainian trade relations have been developing at a very fast pace. There has been a threefold increase in the India Ukraine trade during 2003-2005 and it has exceeded US$1 billion. Ukraine imports from India have doubled and stand at US$3,214 million in 2006, while Ukraine exports to India have increased by 3.6 times and stands at US$7,369 million in 2006. The total turnover in India-Ukraine trade during 2005-2006 has exceeded US$3.1 billion (as of January, 2014).[2] The main items being imported by Ukraine from India are drugs, pharmaceutical production, ores and minerals, tobacco products, tea, coffee, spices, silk and jute. The main items imported by India from Ukraine are chemicals, equipment, machines and engines. Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown significantly in the last 25 years and in 2018–19, was almost US$2.8 Billion. India is Ukraine's largest export destination in the Asia-Pacificand the fifth largest overall export destination.[3]

Both the Ukrainian and Indian governments take part in the sessions of the Ukraine Indian Inter-Governmental Commission which hold the Joint Business Council Meeting of Ukraine-India. This has given a major boost to India Ukraine trade relations. Ukraine is not a new member in the Indian industry as its enterprises are actively involved and form the backbone of Indian power sector and heavy industries among others.

There are such joint stock companies as 'Ukrindustry' that has won contracts for conducting coke battery reconstruction at the plants of metallurgy in Rourkela and Bokaro. There are also Azovmash and Novokramatorskyi machine building plants that supply oxygen converter manufacturing equipment. India-Ukraine trade relations has also been successful in increasing co-operation between the two countries in technology and scientific field.

Science and technology relations

Under the Agreement signed between India and Ukraine in May 1992, the Joint S&T Committee meets annually to discuss implementation of projects, holding of exhibitions and co-operation in scientific research. The Committee last met in Kyiv in October 2007 and approved 11 S&T projects for implementation. Days of Ukrainian Science and Technology were held in New Delhi in December 2004. National Space Agency of Ukraine and ISRO have ongoing co-operation in the space sector. Ukraine has a very strong IT Sector. Many offshore call centres have been successful. Aptech Limited from Mumbai has signed an Agreement in May 2004 with International Institute of Personnel Management (the biggest IT training centre in Ukraine) to organise IT programmes for schools and institutions in Ukraine. Bio-technology is the latest sector where companies such as Biocon, Genome etc. are co-operating with each other. It also supplies turbines for thermal, hydroelectric and nuclear power plants.

In 2005, then President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam expressed interest in strengthening co-operation with Ukraine in the field of space research during a speech given to Indians in Ukraine.[4] He and members of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) later visited the Ukrainian space agency Yuzhnoye, one of the largest rocket manufacturing units in the world.[5]

Political relations
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland UK on 2 November 2021.
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi shaking hands with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland on 2 November 2021.

India has had friendly relations with Ukraine even when the latter was a republic part of the Soviet Union. Annual Foreign Office consultations are held at Secretary level. The Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of the Asia region represents the Ukrainian side in these consultations. Ukraine has been positively co-operating with India at the international level also. Ukraine supports the resolution of the issue of Jammu & Kashmir on the basis of bilateral Simla agreement by India and Pakistan.[6] Ukraine also supports reforms of the UN structure.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Indian media started reporting that in 1998 Ukraine had opposed India's nuclear test and wrongly reported that Ukraine voted in favor of UN Resolution 1172 which condemned India's nuclear test at United Nations Security Council.[7] However, Ukraine was not a member country of UN Security Council when Resolution 1172 was unanimously passed, therefore it could not have participated in the voting process and Resolution 1172 also did not contain any sanction.[8][9]

Ukraine was, however, a member of the Conference on Disarmament where Mykola Maimeskul, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, had condemned the nuclear testing by India.[10] The Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Volodymyr Yelchenko, further condemned India for testing nuclear weapons in a special additional statement.[9]

Position on Crimea

After the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, India abstained from a resolution condemning it.[11] India also does not support Western sanctions against Russia.[12] In December 2014, Prime Minister of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, made an unofficial visit to India to sign a memorandum with a business group called the Indian-Crimean Partnership. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman said that he was not officially aware of the visit by Mr. Aksyonov. The spokesman also said that Mr. Aksyonov was not a member of Putin's delegation.[13] However, some experts have expressed scepticism regarding the explanation offered by India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman. Ukraine president criticised India for allowing Sergey Aksyonov to visit India.[12] U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, also expressed concerns regarding the visit.[14]

In November 2020, India, along with 22 other countries, voted against a Ukraine-sponsored resolution in the United Nations condemning alleged human rights violations by Russia in Crimea.[15]

Position on 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India had maintained a neutral stance and abstained from voting in support of several resolutions aimed at condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine, both at United Nations General Assembly and at United Nations Security Council.[16][17] India was one of three countries on the UN Security Council to abstain from voting on the resolution to condemn the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which ultimately failed due to a veto from permanent member Russia.[18] India has also abstained from voting in support of resolutions demanding probe into Russia's human right violations in Ukraine and the resolution aimed at terminating Russia's membership to United Nations Human Rights Council.[19][20] Russia, in turn, has also praised India from abstaining on resolutions aimed at Russia and termed India's position as "balanced and independent".[21]

Government of India had also refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and termed India-Russia friendship "unbreakable". Following the invasion of Ukraine, India doubled down on buying large amount of Russian oil at discounted price and continued placing order for Russian-made weapons.[22] This made Russia the 3rd largest oil supplier to India in 2022. In 2021, Russia was at the 17th spot, supplying only about 1 percent of India’s overall oil imports.[23] From April 2022 to January 2023, India's Russian import rose by 384%, mainly driven by increased import of Russian oil.[24] Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized India for profiting from buying cheap Russian oil.[25] On 29 December 2022, following the Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Kuleba tweeted, "There can be no ‘neutrality’ in the face of such mass war crimes. Pretending to be ‘neutral’ equals taking Russia’s side.".[26] The Indian government has provided a significant amount of non-violent and humanitarian aid to Ukraine including essential medicines, essential medical equipment and school busses.[27]

Ukrainian racism against Indians

During the start of the Russo-Ukraine war, largescale racial segregation was reported by multiple news sources showing that people of Indian, African and Middle East origin were not permitted to board evacuation busses and only people of Ukrainian and European descent were allowed to board the same.[28][29]

The Ukraine Defense Ministry’s official Twitter account posted a caricature image mocking the Hindu deity "Maa Kaali" and called it a "Work of Art". Following subsequent backlash, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar Dzhaparova tweeted "We regret @DefenceU (Ukraine Defense Ministry’s official Twitter account) depicting Hindu Goddess Kali in a distorted manner.[30]

Sanctions

Oleksandr Merezhko, a senior Ukrainian lawmaker and a top aide to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while on a visit to Washington, had requested United States to impose sanctions on India and China if they continue buying oil from Russia.[31][32][33]

Protest against transfer of ammunition to Ukraine

On 2 September 2022, The Economic Times reported that India has strongly raised objection against the transfer of Pakistan's manufactured arms and ammunition to Ukraine through Royal Air Force's aircraft with the government of United Kingdom.[34]

Indian diaspora

A small but vibrant Indian community lives in Ukraine, composed mostly of business professionals and students. There are about 18,000 Indian students studying in Ukraine, mainly in the field of medicine. Indian business professionals work predominantly in the fields of pharmaceuticals, IT, engineering, medicine, and education. The ‘India Club’, founded by Indian expats in 2001, actively engages the Indian diaspora in Ukraine and organises several events - such as a Diwali festival, cricket tournaments, a Holi festival, Indian dance festival, screenings of Bollywood movies, etc.[3]

On March 4, 2022, India asked Ukraine and Russia to enforce a truce in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy to allow hundreds of Indian students besieged there to be evacuated as the situation worsened.[35]

See also

References
  1. Peri, Dinakar (2021-02-07). "Ukraine looking at defence purchases from India". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  2. Indo-Ukraine relations; 2014 MEA report
  3. "India Ukraine relations" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Welcome to the silicon india network". Siliconindia.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  5. "India, Ukraine To Sign Pact In Outer Space". Spacedaily.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  6. "Don't Single Ukraine Out For Selling Military Hardware to Pakistan". The DIPLOMAT.
  7. "UNSC resolution condemning Russia: India likely to abstain". The Economic Times. 26 February 2022. India had refrained from condemning Soviet invasion of Hungary, in 1956, Czechoslovakia, in 1968, and Afghanistan, in 1979. It did the same when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. Incidentally, Ukraine had vehemently opposed India's 1998 nuclear tests at the UN. Ukraine also voted in favour of UN Resolution 1172 that condemned the tests. Kyiv had given up its nuclear arsenal in its territory after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
  8. "Countries Elected Members Below you can see the list of all countries which have been elected as members of the Security Council at least once since 1946". www.un.org. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  9. "SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS NUCLEAR TESTS BY INDIA AND PAKISTAN". www.un.org. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  10. "DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE MEMBERS CONDEMN INDIAN NUCLEAR TESTS". www.un.org. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  11. "India′s balancing act in Crimea crisis – Asia – DW.DE – 01.04.2014". DW.DE.
  12. "Ukrainian president slams India over Crimean leader visit". Reuters. 11 December 2014.
  13. "Crimean PM meets Indian business group in New Delhi during Putin visit". The Hindu. 11 December 2014.
  14. "India Questioned Over Crimean Leader's Visit". Voice of America. 12 December 2014.
  15. "India votes against Ukraine-sponsored resolution in the United Nations". Economic Times. 19 November 2020.
  16. "India abstains 6th, 7th time in UN vote on Ukraine crisis resolution". www.business-standard.com. 25 March 2022.
  17. "Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine: resolution". United Nations Digital Library. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  18. "Security Council resolution 2623 (2022) [on convening an emergency special session of the General Assembly on Ukraine]". 2022-02-27. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. "India Abstains at UNHRC Vote on Probing Alleged Russian War Crimes in Ukraine". The Wire. 13 May 2022.
  20. "India abstains on vote to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council". www.thehindubusinessline.com. 8 April 2022.
  21. "Russia praises India's 'balanced' stance on Ukraine after Security Council abstention". www.timesofisrael.com. 27 February 2022.
  22. FRAYER, LAUREN (20 February 2023). "A year into the Ukraine war, the world's biggest democracy still won't condemn Russia". National Public Radio (NPR).
  23. "Discounts make Russia third-largest oil supplier to India". www.aljazeera.com. 17 January 2023.
  24. "India's imports from Russia up 384 per cent in April–January". The Economic Times. 15 February 2023.
  25. "Ukraine hits out at India for buying cheap Russian oil 'while we are suffering and dying'". The Independent. 6 December 2022.
  26. "British Defense Ministry Notes 'Continued Churn of Senior Russian Officials'". VOA News. 30 December 2022.
  27. "India sends 7,725 kilograms of humanitarian aid to Ukraine amid war". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  28. "The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows racism has no boundaries". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  29. "Ukraine: African students face Russian missiles and racism". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  30. "Ukraine Says SORRY For Hurting Indian Sentiments; Experts Say Ukraine's Tweet Has Further Isolated Kyiv From New Delhi". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  31. "Ukraine lawmaker calls on US to target China, India energy purchases". France 24. 1 February 2023.
  32. "Ukraine Lawmaker Calls On U.S. To Target China, India Energy Purchases From Russia". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 1 February 2023.
  33. "Ukraine lawmaker calls on US to target China, India energy purchases". Al Arabiya English. 1 February 2023.
  34. Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy (2 September 2022). "India raises with UK transfer of Pak arms to Ukraine via globemaster". The Economic Times.
  35. "India urges ceasefire in Ukrainian city to evacuate students". Reuters. Reuters. Reuters. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
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