Regions.ru, Jilkin.ru, Prodmagazin.ru, 09.07.2015
By Galina Godunova
During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again, as during their meeting at the summit last year, raised the issue of the importance of the southern port city of Astrakhan for the development of Russia-India relations.
This year there will be another summit between India and Russia, I will have an opportunity to come to Russia. If I get a chance to go to Astrakhan, Im going to do it, because when I was the Governor of my native state Gujarat, we had and still have fraternal relations between Gujarat and Astrakhan. I see you have a good tradition to organize top-level meetings in different cities. Maybe, we can organize our summit in Astrakhan? the Indian Prime Minister offered Vladimir Putin.
According to experts, Astrakhan was called not only the region with experience of conducting international summits at the highest level (last September the Presidents of the Five Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan met inside the white-stone walls of the Astrakhan Kremlin). The significance of this proposal by the Indian Prime Minister was that he personally paved the way for cooperation with Russia through Astrakhan. Modi first arrived there in 2006, being the Governor of the Gujarat state, and in negotiations with Governor Alexander Zhilkin he brought forward a number of agreements on the transportation of goods through the corridor North-South, cultural and scientific exchange, education, tourism and shipbuilding. But the Indian trail in the history of this city should be considered the main argument in favour of Astrakhan.
Exactly one year ago, at the BRICS summit in Brazil, Narendra Modi explained to Vladimir Putin the reason for the attractiveness of Astrakhan for Indians, who wish to trade with Russia. When I was in Astrakhan, I visited a library where I saw the chronicles of India. It was surprising to see such material from India there. Also, when I was staying there, I thought that our two regions are very close to each other. There is a building in Astrakhan called the House of India. It turned out that in those days, when merchants from India, Gujarat, went to Astrakhan, they lived in it. And at present the Astrakhans show with great pride how they have preserved this building, Narendra Modi told Vladimir Putin.
He spoke of the Indian trade mission. This historical and architectural monument located in the street, which was formerly known as Indian, is a two-minute walk distance from the building, in which governor Alexander Zhilkin works.
Historical sources indicate that Indian merchants created a community in Astrakhan exactly 400 years ago by establishing their trading yards (one of which is preserved to this day). The Russian Government encouraged the arrival of eastern merchants in the country, creating most favourable conditions for them. Thus, they had the right for trials by their own laws, freedom of religion and religious rituals, local historians say. There are preserved proofs that Indians paid the lowest rent 12 roubles per year for each trade spot, and were exempt from any other taxes and duties. Through Astrakhan they carried to Europe silk, fur, copper, leather, carpets, wool, precious stones, fruit, wine, gold and silver. And the return loading of their vessels they organised by purchasing goods in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kazan and delivering them to the East.
The contemporary history of relations between India and Astrakhan originates from 1999, when the first test transportation of containers from India along the corridor North-South was organized. The latest meeting between Governor Alexander Zhilkin and the now! Prime Minister of India, Naredra Modi, took place in January this year at the Economic Forum Vibrant Gujarat. By the way, the Astrakhan Governor became the first regional Russian leader, who officially communicated with the new leader of India, the Minister of International and Foreign Economic Relations of the Astrakhan Region, Denis Afanasyev, said.
Alexander Zhilkin raised the issues of the revival of regular container traffic from the Indian ports of Nhava Sheva and Mumbai to Russia via Iran and the Caspian Sea. In addition to that, Alexander Zhilkin, spoke of creating in Astrakhan wholesale warehouses of Indian goods (if compared with St. Petersburg and the Moscow region, the shipment distance of Indian goods to the regions of Siberia and the Urals is much shorter from Astrakhan). They also discussed cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals, as well as the possibility of the arrival of Indian companies to the special economic zone, which is being created in Astrakhan.
Our friendly relations began almost ten years ago, when we were Governors, and now Narendra Modi, as the Prime Minister of India, has more opportunities to strengthen them, for which fact I am very grateful, because I see how kind attitude to Astrakhan can affect Russia-India relations in general. I invited Mr. Prime Minister to visit Astrakhan at any time convenient and I am happy to learn that he has not forgotten about it, Governor Alexander Zhilkin said.
Meanwhile
Astrakhan was involved in the yoga topic as well, which the Indian Prime Minister raised at the meeting with Vladimir Putin. The possibility of Astrakhan joining the activities of the International Yoga Day was discussed during the visit of Alexander Zhilkin to Gujarat in January. Later on, methodological support to the preparation for this new event for the region was provided by Indian Ambassador, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan, who came to Astrakhan in April. Finally, on June 21, one and a half thousand Astrakhans were able to join the ancient healing art twelve groups showed master classes of traditional classical yoga in the park Arcadia.
