Indian diplomacy and Morality
Context:
Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emine Dzhaparova, criticised India on her official visit to India for its contradictory posture of seeking to be a moral leader while pursuing its interests by not opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Points to Ponder(From News Paper):
- Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emine Dzhaparova, criticised India on her official visit to India for its contradictory posture of seeking to be a moral leader while pursuing its interests by not opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Some foreign diplomats are said to be quietly expressing this perspective, pointing out the contradiction between India’s aspirations to be a “Vishwa Guru” (global teacher) and its unwillingness to overtly criticise Russia.
- In the past, India has been accused of contradicting what it preaches to the rest of the world and what it seeks for itself, such as when it criticised the US for its actions in Vietnam while remaining silent on Soviet operations in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan.
- Previously, the Indian approach to foreign policy concepts was anchored in present World Order principles, but today the inspiration comes from ancient India’s wisdom, with the assertion that its global application will contribute to the wellbeing of the planet.
- In this regard, the United States is a chronic offender, promoting democracy while supporting arrogant tyrants and apartheid regimes.
- S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, has led the charge in highlighting the discrepancies in Western prescriptions to the rest of the world in the context of the Ukraine war and the pursuit of its interests.
Indo-Ukraine Relationship
- Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, with a population of over 40 million and an area of about 600,000 sq km.
- India established diplomatic relations with Ukraine in January 1992, and the Embassy of India in Kyiv was opened in May 1992.
- Bilateral trade between India and Ukraine has grown significantly in the last 25 years, and in 2018-19, was almost US$ 2.8 Billion.
- India is Ukraine’s greatest Asia-Pacific export destination and its sixth-largest overall export destination. Ukraine’s main exports to India are agricultural products, metallurgical products, plastics and polymers, and so on.
- Bilateral cultural relations are also robust, with a large public interest in Indian culture in Ukraine, including dances, yoga, philosophy, Ayurveda, and spirituality.
- More than 30 Ukrainian cultural associations/groups are active in promoting Indian art forms, particularly Indian dances, throughout the country.
- The Indian Embassy in Kyiv hosts frequent activities and classes in yoga, dancing, painting, rangoli, Ayurveda, and other disciplines that are available to the public and free of charge.
- Through the ITEC Assistance programme and other training programmes, India provides training to Ukraine.
- India and Ukraine have signed many Memorandums of Understanding/Agreements in various fields such as diplomatic relations, visa and consular concerns, trade and commercial matters, space, science and technology, defence, and so on.
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