Russian actor in Indian movieDancing: Impossible to go wrong with BipashaP.07

SCO: 10 years of growing upThe India factor and the Afghan chess-board

Skolkovo innovation hub Russia's Silicon Valley nets top global IT giantsP.03

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BANGALORE ● MUMBAI ● NEW DELHI ● WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011

A Report from The Tmes of India. In association with Rossiyskaya Gazeta

RussiaIndia

REPORT

...Marching towards a common future

Unveiling his vision of liberalising state-controlled economy, Medvedev asks investors to take charge and pitches strongly for reforms.

A bullish Dmitry Medvedev left investors so enthusiastic at St. Petersburg economic forum earlier this month that even his biggest shortcoming could not spoil the mood: He refused to say whether he would address the forum as president again next year.Medvedev was forced to admit at the very end of the closing session that he could not promise to stand for re-elec-tion. "When I believe the mo-ment is right to say directly whether I will or will not run, I will do so," he said. "But this forum is not the best venue for that." The question of who will run the country after the State Duma elections in December

NIKOLAUS VON TWICKELTHE MOSCOW TIMES

Politics Medvedev rejects state capitalism, advocates decentralisation, warns of harsher punishment for the corrupt

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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and the presidential vote next March has become ever more vexing since Medvedev and his prime minister and prede-cessor, Vladimir Putin, have both said they might stand, while seemingly drifting fur-ther apart in their policies.Medvedev fuelled talk of a rift that has governed the country since 2008 when he lit a blaze of liberal policies in his key-note speech at the Forum. As a central theme, he touted an end to government interven-tion in the economy, which he described both as state capi-talism and "manual control" — a de� nition closely associ-ated with Putin's habit of per-sonally intervening in indus-try decision making.The president's repudiation of what is seen as Putin's style was perhaps the most striking moment in his 35-minute ad-dress. "This is not my choice — my choice is something else," he said slowly, adding that pri-

in The Economic Times14 September

BUSINESS REPORT

www.indrus.in

VIKTOR LITOVKINRIR

After a glorious decade, the BrahMos missile system continues to surprise with its capacity for innovation.

BrahMos maps new frontiers Defence Missile set for its first underwater launch in late 2011: BrahMos CEO

Ten years ago, the multi-fac-eted Indian-Russian military cooperation notched its � rst milestone when the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile sys-tem’s maiden launch took place from Chandipur, Orissa on June 12, Russia’s National Day. The launch marked a re-newal of bilateral defence co-operation in a framework of strategic partnership.

The Russian-Indian duo Elena Vesnina and Sania Mirza may have lost in French Open women doubles in Paris recently, but they are doubling up their efforts to win Grand Slam titles this year.

SEE PAGE 8

Higher than hope

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The name of the missile -- BrahMos is an acronym of the names of two rivers – the Brah-maputra in India and the Mos-cow River in Russia -- under-lines the signal importance of this project for both countries. The joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace, with Russia hold-ing 49.5%, and India, or rather the Defence Research and De-velopment Organisation (DRDO) under India’s De-fence Ministry holding the re-maining 50.5% is constantly evolving and innovating. In mid-June, the head of the JV, Sivathanu Pillai, confirmed that the BrahMos missile is slated for its � rst underwater launch in late 2011.

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President’s choice: More power to investor

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has yet to declare whether he will stand for re-election. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, too, keeps people guessing whether he will take the plunge.

vate entrepreneurs and inves-tors should play the dominant role, while the state should protect them.Medvedev also suggested harsher punishment for cor-rupt officials, saying they could be � red for "loss of con-fidence" when evidence of bribery does not allow press-ing criminal charges. He had � red Moscow Mayor Yury Lu-zhkov after 18 years for "loss of con� dence" last September and has never elaborated on the reason. The president told his audience, which included scores of governors, that his sacking of long-serving re-gional bosses often led to im-proved local business climate. Citing Moscow as an example, he said that under Mayor Ser-gei Sobyanin the number of documents necessary to start construction projects has de-creased.

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bookmarks02 Russia india RepoRtin association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011

www.brahmos.com BrahMos Aerospace JV www.roe.ru JSC Rosoboronexport websitewww.oilandgaseurasia.com Oil and gas industry news cooperation

in briefenergyJoint venture for making nuclear power equipment

defencegorshkov issues resolved, no more questions

A Russian-Indian joint ven-ture for the production of equipment for nuclear power plants will be set up in India before the end of the year, Vladimir Kashchenko, Direc-tor General of the AtomEn-ergoMash Company, said on the sidelines of the Interna-tional Atomexpo-2011 Fo-rum in Moscow. The JV will be set by an Indian enter-prise, which is ready to pro-

India and Russia have re-solved all questions regard-ing the upgrading of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gor-shkov, Security Council Sec-retary Nikolai Patrushev said after talks with India's National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon on June 6. “During the talks, we dis-cussed military-technical co-operation in detail and went

trade petronet, gazprom seal pact for lng supply

Petronet LNG Ltd. (PLNG), India’s biggest importer of liquefied natural gas, and Gazprom Global LNG, through its Singapore affili-ate, Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore, a 100% subsidiary of Gazprom Mar-keting & Trading, have con-cluded a memorandum of understanding for the long term supply of LNG.Under the terms of the agreement, Petronet will pur-

chase fuel from Russia’s OAO Gazprom and boost long-term contract volumes by 28%.Petronet plans to buy as much as 2.5 million metric tons of LNG annually for 25 years, the company said in an e-mailed statement. “This MOU is a key step in diversifying LNG supply and this relation will go a long way towards developing mutu-ally beneficial relations," said A. K. Balyan, MD and CEO, Petronet. prime tass

duce NPP equipment under Russia’s technologies. “India has got several enterprises of rather high technological mar-ket, which may become par-ticipants in the Russian-Indian JV,” Kashchenko said. He is confident that the joint venture of the kind is the prototype for the setting up of a region-al structure for the production of atomic technological equip-ment. ITAR TASS

over the [upgrading of] the Admiral Gorshkov and the schedule [of works]. We have no questions, and nor does the Indian side,” Patrushev said.He noted that “no unsolv-able questions arose” dur-ing the discussion of military-technical cooperation. “There are questions that need to be discussed and that need sup-port,” he added. itar tass

10 years on, brahmos an anchor of defence tiesNow, the two sides are trying to develop an airborne version of the BrahMos missile, to be launched from various types of aircraft, including Su-30MKI fighters, which Russia produces especially for India. The first tests of the airborne version may be held as early as 2012. The joint-venture’s co-director Alexander Maxichev, according to news reports, re-cently said that BrahMos Aerospace is planning to start developing a new upgraded version of the Russian-Indian missile in 2011, with the key specifications for the hyper-sonic BrahMos-2 missile al-ready worked out. The new missile is expected to travel at five times the speed of sound, making it virtually impossible to intercept.According to Alexander Baskakov, co-director, Brah-Mos is headquartered in Hyderabad, which boasts an-ti-ship missile production lines, and in Nagpur, where the missiles receive their war-heads, and are stored in army arsenals.The missile’s 12-month war-ranty runs from delivery to the customer. The missile control system is deployed on Rajput 61E class destroyers, six of which are currently being re-vamped at Indian shipyards. Three Indian Project 11356 Talwar class frigates currently being built at the Yantar Ship-yard in Kaliningrad will also be fitted with eight BrahMos missile launchers each. Indian admirals are looking for an

anti-ship system of their own and they have set their sights on BrahMos. The missile trav-els at three times the speed of sound and boasts high preci-sion. Currently, a large Proj-ect 15A vessel to carry 16 launchers is being built at a shipyard near Mumbai. The idea is also on the table to de-ploy BrahMos anti-ship mis-siles behind the control room on the new generation Amur-1650 diesel-powered subma-rine that Russia has offered

India. Russia has already test-ed underwater missile launch-es. At the last minute, Indian admirals, however, sprang a surprise by purchasing Scor-pene class submarines from France, and the contract with Russia was postponed until a later date.Meanwhile, India wants the missile not only for its navy but also its army for hitting surface targets, and even for its air force -- to arm the air-craft on which it prides itself,

the multipurpose Su-30MKI fighter.India currently has an entire squadron of BrahMos mobile land-based systems based on the Czech Tatra truck. Most of the missile's components are manufactured in Russia, in-cluding its solid-fuel booster stage and liquid core stage, target-seeking device, pay-load, etc. India supplies only the missile-borne computer, inertial system and interface unit.The third purpose of the Brah-Mos missile – air launch – was equally well represented at the Aero India show. The Su-30MKI fighter has a fleet of 48 planes and 40 more have been bought from Russia. Equip-ping them with anti-ship mis-siles is the dream of India’s top air force generals. As of today, no Asian state boasts such a powerful weapon.Meanwhile, the joint design efforts have been quite a suc-cess and everything now de-pends on production. India’s Air Force has already allocat-ed two fighters for flight tests and the production of new planes is scheduled to start in 2012 at Hindustan Aeronau-tics Limited (HAL) enterpris-es. Presumably, Moscow and Delhi, says Baskakov, will try and tap new markets with their new product. "Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Thailand, Chile and Malaysia have already sub-mitted their orders for the an-ti-ship missile. This will be-come another highly promising area of Russian-Indian coop-eration,” he said.

"speed, precision and devastating power in destroying the target makes the weapon unparalleled. its competitor is yet to be born,” says dr a.s.pillai, brahmos aerospace ceo.

Targets $20 bn trade by 2015, to study CECAa joint study group to draft a Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement, to hold the next annual Forum on Trade and Investment in Mos-cow in November and to set up within the forum three round tables in the public-private partnership format focussing on innovation and commer-cialisation of scientific re-

India and Russia plan to boost trade to $20 billion per year by 2015, Indian Commerce and

search, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals. Machinery and equipment accounts for more than half of Russian ex-ports to India, and oil and gas just 5%, Deputy PM Sergei Ivanov said. He urged India to take a closer look at Russian modern medium-range jetlin-ers, such as the Sukhoi Super-Jet 100 and Antonov An-148.

Website of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in India

www.rusembassy.inSubscribe to our freemonthly e-paperwww.indrus.in/subscribe

Industry Minister Anand Sharma said during a round table at the economic forum in St. Petersburg. The Russian and Indian economies are worth $1 trillion combined, he said, adding that the two sides have formed six working groups to map out further areas of cooperation.The two sides agreed to set up

sergei petrovRiR

india and russia eye a trade target of $20 billion by 2015 and set up six working groups to give ballast to their economic ties.

continued from page 1

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03bookmarks Russia india RepoRt

in association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011 Politics

www.forumspb.com/en St.Petersburg International economic forum websitewww.i-gorod.com/en The official website of the Skolkovo foundation

in@rbth.ru www.indrus.in/letters

The smart power of the SCONursultan Nazarbayev

Arrested developmentEugene Ivanov

Find more at

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olga razumovskayaThe mOSCOw TImeS

with over 60 companies on board and a host of mncs and research institutions coming in, skolkovo is set to be russia's innovation city.

mncs, it giants troop to skolkovoinnovation Over 60 companies sign as residents in Russia's Silicon Valley; IT, biomedical research, energy key sectors

Skolkovo, a Silicon Valley-type hub near Moscow, is what Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hopes will be the Noah's Ark for Russian's oil-surfeited economy: Put the best scientists and engineers, several promising startups and major international cor-porations in a to-be-con-structed town, add global and local technology leaders and Nobel Prize winners to over-see the process, and you have a recipe for a successful new economy.A year and a half after the president finalised the loca-tion of the country's new in-novation site, companies that joined the project have con-tinued to remain optimistic, while others have preferred to observe from afar, content with their Russian business and contribution to the econ-omy. Currently, there are sev-eral ways for companies of all shapes and sizes to partici-pate. Participants should be from one of the five areas of innovation outlined by Med-vedev in June 2009: nuclear and information technologies,

space, biomedical research and energy efficiency.The primary way for the com-panies to participate is through "residency" — a com-mitment to be physically pres-ent in the Skolkovo compound once the construction of the innovative city is completed in 2015. There are now 60 signed residents on the Skolk-ovo roster split between three

ticipation might not be limit-ed to Schmidt's chairman-ship. "We support this project and hope to be useful in it," said Alla Zabrovskaya, Google Russia's spokeswoman.Companies like Yandex, which triumphantly listed on NAS-DAQ and is now a poster child for successful innovation ven-tures, are more cautious when talking about Skolkovo."The Skolkovo project is de-signed for startups, new com-panies for which special con-ditions and benefits are needed. Yandex, after all, is a fully formed company with its own unit called Yandex," the company's press office said.Hewlett-Packard, which boasts a large presence in Rus-sia, has so far been reluctant to participate in Skolkovo in any way, saying that Skolkovo has yet to prove that it can com-pete globally with other inno-vation hubs. The Association of Computer and Information Technologies companies, or APKIT, an IT lobbying asso-ciation, is sceptical. "Not to be a nihilist — it is good that the government is trying to sup-port a non-natural resources economy," but if it really wants to support the IT industry, it should lower taxes and create conditions for preparing the workforce, said APKIT head Nikolai Komlev.

sectors: IT, biomedical re-search and energy efficiency.Among the first residents to be chosen to participate in the project was Innograd Push-chino, whose project envisag-es using biotechnologies to discover and neutralise high-ly dangerous infections.Residents also include IT companies such as Parallels Research, which will be set-

at st. Petersburg economic forum, viktor vekselberg, president of skolkovo innovation cen-ter, signed a number of agreements with leading hi-tech firms and institutions such as nokia corporation, simens ag, ibm, massachusetts institute of technology.

ting up a cloud-computing center in Skolkovo, and Almaz Capital, which pledged 900 million rubles ($30 million) to create a business incubator.Multinationals, research in-stitutions and universities with big names are partici-pating by performing an over-sight role as a part of the Skolkovo Foundation, the project's advisory council, the

board of trustees, the town planning board or by signing memorandums of under-standing concerning future cooperation. Among such companies are global IT giant Cisco Systems, which promised to invest $1 billion in Skolkovo during Medvedev's visit to California last summer. Now the compa-ny is one of Skolkovo's most faithful promoters, promising to increase its support of local IT education by ramping up the number of its training centers in Russia from 125 to 650 by 2015. "We also see our-selves as residents in 2011 if everything goes as planned," Andrei Zyuzin, who is driving cooperation with Skolkovo on behalf of Cisco, said. "This project is purely commercial for us. The reason we are here is to create an ecosystem for innovation in Russia," he said.Zyuzin is optimistic and an-swers sceptics that initial re-sults of the project will be vis-ible in four to five years, and that in seven to 10 years, it will be possible to judge whether the company has taken the right course with the project.Google chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt de-cided to get involved by join-ing the Skolkovo Foundation council. The company's par-

Darrell Stanaford, managing director of real estate agency CB Richard Ellis in Russia. Stanaford said both foreign and Russian business agree that the government should not dictate from above but rather provide conditions for them to thrive. "This is the for-mat which is necessary," he said.Others noted Medvedev's fre-quent use of the word "choice," which in Russian is the same

Medvedev’s pro-reform re-marks were seen by many par-ticipants as bordering on a campaign speech. “A pretty presidential speech,” said An-drew Somers, president of the American Chamber of Com-merce in Russia.Medvedev was trying to win the support of “his colleagues in power and the Russian elite” ahead of the election, said

as the word for election.By reiterating "my choice," Medvedev has indicated that he personally backs his prom-ises, said Klaus Kleinfeld, CEO of U.S. aluminum giant Alcoa. "It is the same language that a U.S. president would use," Kleinfeld, who chairs the U.S.-Russia Business Council, said in an interview. Arkady Dvorkovich, Medvedev's top economic policy aide, told re-porters that the president had

undoubtedly given "a political speech." But he was careful to stress that it was wrong to call it a campaign speech. "The election campaign hasn't started yet," he said.But in another twist, Medve-dev made it clear that his mod-ernisation policy would be fol-lowed even if he weren't in the Kremlin. "The project will go ahead no matter who holds of-fice in this country over the coming years. I guarantee this personally as the president of this country," he declared.Medvedev sought to push the envelope further saying plans for a privatization drive that he initiated were "too modest" and the government must ad-

just them by Aug. 1. Dvork-ovich later explained that pri-vatisation revenues from 2012 to 2014 should amount to at least 450 billion rubles ($16

billion) per annum instead of the previous target of 300 bil-lion rubles ($10 billion).Deputy Economic Develop-ment Minister Alexandra Lev-itskaya added that the govern-ment planned to rake in 500

'Modernisation to continue even if I am not in power'continued from P1

billion rubles from privatisa-tions this year alone.Participants were also buoy-ant about the prospect of the country's accession to the World Trade Organisation by the end of the year.Medvedev provided one of his strongest arguments for ac-cession so far by saying the economy could not function without free trade."Markets are like parachutes — they work only when open. Without an open economy, we will fall very badly," said Med-vedev, while asserting that Russia’s admission to the WTO was realistic by year-end and would be done only under ac-ceptable terms.

"markets are like parachutes — they work only when open," says medvedev.

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bookmarks04 Russia india RepoRtin association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011

www.sectsco.org/en SCO official website www.mid.ru Russia’s Foreign Ministryeng.globalaffairs.ru Russia in global affairs magazine website international

10 years of sco : a regional force andglobal Player

With AFghAn endgAMe neARing, the Six-nAtiOn SCO iS Set tO

plAy A MORe vitAl ROle - An AnChOR OF RegiOnAl StAbility

region: central asia

india keen on SCO for energy, trade, security

get india, pakistan in SCO for Afghan solution

the SCO and this was discussed during the Astana summit. By joining the forum, Afghanistan can play a more active role in the organisation.India is now taking a closer look at the SCO, but one could see some hesitation during the re-cent summit. While the 10th SCO summit was attended by heads of states, India was rep-resented by its foreign minister only. In the past too, India pre-ferred not to be represented by the head of state in the summits to maintain some distance. Hence, in most of the SCO sum-mits, India was represented by Minister of Petroleum and Nat-ural Gas. However, in the Yeka-terinburg summit in June 2009, India signaled a major shift in its attitude when Prime Minis-ter Manmohan Sigh attended the summit himself. This clear-ly indicated India’s seriousness about the organisation.In the summit last year in Tash-kent, the SCO decided to bring in some more countries as full members as well as observers. It is hoped that India will soon be-come a full member of SCO. In fact, India and Pakistan are considered as the favorites for joining the six-nation regional grouping. India’s full member-ship in the SCO would help to strengthen the fight against ter-rorism and drug trafficking. It will also provide India a closer platform for integration with the Eurasian States (including Central Asia and Russia) and can address geopolitical as well as security concerns of the re-gion. India, along with other SCO states, can contribute in increasing regional stability.The growing importance of the SCO makes it essential for India to increase dialogue and en-

The tenth summit of the Shanghai Cooperatipreon Organisation (SCO) con-

cluded successfully in Kazakh capital Astana on June 15, 2011. The SCO, which is focused on fighting the trinitarian evils of extremism, terrorism and sep-aratism on the one hand and on creating a web of regional prosperity on the other, is on the verge of transformation and expansion. Mongolia, Iran, Pak-istan (all observer states) have expressed their strong desire to become full members of the or-ganisation. Of late, India has

also shown its keenness for get-ting full membership. New Delhi thinks that joining the SCO will provide it an impor-tant platform for sharing secu-rity concerns of the region and to work closely on issues relat-ing to the stability of Afghani-stan. Though SCO is not inter-ested in sending troops to Afghanistan as they had bitter experience on this front during the Soviet times, which they would not like to repeat, but as most of the SCO member/ob-server states share the common border with Afghanistan, it be-comes essential for the SCO to maintain peace and stability in this country. Afghanistan has already submitted its applica-tion for getting membership in

Created for the purely prac-tical purpose of settling border disputes between

China and the former Soviet republics in Central Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organ-isation has evolved into a major regional and global political player since its founding 10 years ago. Comprising Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the SCO is one of the few interna-tional organisations to have grown stronger in the past de-cade and there are three rea-sons for this.First, the importance of region-al organisations has been grow-ing around the world, and the area of Eurasia where the SCO operates has become a focus of international attention. Sec-ond, SCO member countries

gagement with this body and strengthen its position within the forum. A strong India-SCO relationship would bring major trade and investment opportu-nities for India. The SCO is gradually realising its ambi-tious economic integration agenda, including the forma-tion of a free-trade zone and setting-up rules for the free movement of goods, services and technologies within SCO member states. With its rapidly growing economy, India’s ener-gy demands are set to grow manifold, and in this context, the energy-rich SCO states could be of strategic impor-tance. India has played an im-portant role in strengthening the SCO since it joined it as an

observer at the fifth summit held in July 2005 in Astana. India shares with the SCO com-mon positions on many politi-co-security issues and concerns of the region. India has good re-lations with all SCO members; hence, prospects for future co-operation are very bright. Dur-ing China’s SCO presidentship in 2012, India-Pakistan and In-dia-China relationship are lik-ley to improve as leaders of the SCO member states announced 2011-2012 as the SCO's year of good-neighborliness and friendship.

Dr.Nivedita Das Kundu is a Foreign Policy Analyst with the Indian Council for Social Science Research, New Delhi.

are aware of the need to coordi-nate on their many overlapping interests in the region.And lastly, the SCO is finely balanced by two great regional powers, China and Russia, which prevents any one mem-ber from dominating. Kazakh-stan, a confident and rapidly developing country, is yet an-other pillar reinforcing the or-ganisation’s balance.Initially, the West saw the SCO as another Russian attempt to establish an anti-U.S. bloc. However, the SCO’s only anti-U.S. move to date was a 2005 statement calling for a timeta-ble on the removal of U.S. mili-tary bases from Central Asia. The issue has not been raised again since. The SCO’s refusal to admit Iran, which has filed for membership twice, can be explained by its unwillingness to be seen as an anti-Western organisation.The SCO has the chance to be-

come the main stabilising force in Central and South Asia, which is why its leaders are con-sidering lifting the tacit mora-torium on expansion. During Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Moscow in May, President Dmitry Medve-dev publicly spoke in favour of admitting Pakistan to the SCO. Russia would also like to see India as a full member, but China is not enthusiastic about the prospect. A compromise may be to admit both India and Pakistan. The biggest regional problem is the future of Af-ghanistan after the withdrawal of the U.S. and NATO troops or a change in how they are de-ployed in the country. Afghani-stan is a question mark because the U.S. strategy regarding the country is unclear. It fact, Wash-ington may have no Afghan strategy, judging by varying opinions on U.S. interests in Af-ghanistan and how to best de-fend them. In other words, the SCO member countries should prepare for any scenario.If they grant membership to India and Pakistan, the organi-sation will comprise nearly all the countries that can influence developments in Afghanistan, excluding the US and Iran. This may not ensure a viable so-lution to the Afghan problem, but it will put the SCO in the best position to facilitate one.However, there are complicat-ing factors in SCO relations, first among them being Mos-cow and Beijing’s differing views of the SCO’s mission. Russia believes that it should become a strategic political player focused on regional and

global security. As is often the case, China has avoided discus-sions of this issue, opting to focus on trade and economic cooperation instead. In other words, Russia would like to use the SCO to strengthen its stra-tegic presence in Central Asia, while China sees it as an instru-ment of economic expansion.For now, there is balance be-tween the two largest members. China is stronger economically, while Russia has greater politi-cal resources, including the Central Asian countries’ wari-ness of China’s economic might. This mutual deterrence holds

the SCO back while at the same time providing stability. There is still a risk of one of them dominating, as the growing im-balance between Russia and China may deprive Moscow of its political advantage. But Bei-jing tries to avoid demonstrat-ing its advantages. Moreover, it wants the SCO to grow stron-ger as a regional organisation, as China will always be the first among equals in the region. Global instability will most likely continue to grow, which means that the SCO’s second decade will be packed full of even more interesting events.

Fyodor Lukyanov is the Edi-tor-in-Chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs.

fyodor lukyanov

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the SCO is finely balanced by two great regional powers, China and Russia.

For india, SCO will provide an important platform for sharing security concerns of region

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the leaders of the sco member states uzbekistan, china, kazakhstan, russia, tajikistan and kyrgyzstan at the astana summit.

all articles appearing on pages 4 and 5 do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the editors of rossiyskaya gazeta and russia india report.

nivedita das kundu

SpeCiAlly FOR RiR

05bookmarks Russia india RepoRt

in association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011 international

www.strategic-culture.org Strategic culture founda-tion on-line magazine russiatoday.com Russia Today TV channelen.rian.ru RIA Novosti newswire

Vladimir snegireVSpecIAlly foR RIR

as the world marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this autumn, the us should avoid mistakes made by the soviet union to stall a taliban takeover of afghanistan.

stalling taliban: the soviet experience

The US-led coalition's war against the Taliban and the Soviet military presence in Afghanistan, although sepa-rated in time and space, have much in common. There are, however, also differences, the chief one being that Moscow in 1979 sent its divisions to protect a friendly regime from hostile forces and to prevent Afghanistan from dropping out of its sphere of influence. The West committed its troops to destroy terrorist bases. In the former case, it was an epi-sode in the global confronta-tion between the “socialist camp” and virtually the rest of the world. In the latter case, it was the White House’s re-sponse to 9/11. Thirty-two years ago, when the Soviet Union’s generals found themselves in Afghani-stan, they did not even bother to provide basic accommoda-tion for their units as they as-sumed that they would quick-ly defeat Islamic guerillas armed with outdated weap-ons and return home. Howev-er, the bearded mujahideen were supported by the colos-

sal resources of the US, Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel and many others who declared the Soviet Union an “evil empire” and dragged it into a prolonged war of at-trition with the aim of win-ning the Cold War. The coali-t i o n f i g h t i n g t h e Taliban-al-Qaeda combine, on the contrary, has the sup-port of practically the whole world, including Russia. But despite these seminal dif-ferences, there are certain sim-ilarities. Thirty-two years ago, as soon as they entered Kabul, Soviet Special Forces began by liquidating Hafizulla Amin, the Afghan leader who was suspected of collaborating with the CIA. Babrak Karmal was brought in to replace Amin and was thoroughly briefed by the Kremlin on how to run the country “correctly”. The US-NATO invasion was also preceded by the high-pro-file political assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the only Afghan at the time who had a chance to become a gen-uine national leader. The offi-cial story is that forces close to the Taliban masterminded the murder, but not many give credence to this. The truth is that at the time Massoud did not suit anyone, whether it be the Americans, the “black mullahs” or members of his circle who wanted nothing but to enjoy the spoils of the jihad

projects that change the face of the country and the men-tality of its people. In the early 1990s, one could often hear people in Russia saying that “sending troops to Afghanistan was a tragic mis-take, but pulling them out was an unpardonable crime”. Win-ning the jihad turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory: chaos, civil war, still greater casualties culminating in the seizure of power by the Taliban, and Af-ghanistan becoming the cen-tre of international terrorism. Today, the world is different. But the danger of such a catas-trophe repeating itself has not subsided.

victory. The way the assassina-tion was organised and the tracks covered up shows that serious professionals were at work. The Taliban? This does not look like their work. Subsequently, the White House installed Hamid Karzai at the Ark Palace and then did everything to legitimise him in the eyes of his own citizens. The Soviets were zealously imposing on Afghanistan their own ideas of state structure and public life. The Americans are committing the same mis-takes, vainly trying to graft their “democratic values” on the Afghan tribes. The appearance of NATO and

strategy The West will never win in Afghanistan by purely military means; building infrastructure holds the key

ISAF units in Afghanistan, like the invasion by the “lim-ited Soviet contingent”, has given a powerful impetus for a guerilla war. The Russians failed to achieve victory, but arguably managed to do what the West has yet to achieve: to create a viable government, to form, arm and train the army and police and ensure control of most of the country’s terri-tory. My foreign colleagues sometimes ask me why many Afghans, even former muja-hideen, have fond memories of the Russians while show-ing no warm feelings for those who today risk their lives to defend them against the Tali-

ban and Al-Qaeda. I think the answer is obvious. The trick is that we did not only fight the fundamentalists, but also in-vested billions of dollars in various construction projects. Almost everything Afghani-stan has today – roads, bridg-es, tunnels, farms, schools, grain elevators, residential neighborhoods – were built by or with the assistance of the Soviets. Tens of thousands of Afghans were educated in Russia and other Soviet re-publics. Such things are not easily forgotten. Surgical mil-itary operations must be, therefore, accompanied by important infrastructure

book reView

Revisiting 1979: A gory tale of revolution, coups, murdersAs the Afghan endgame begins with the phased withdrawal of Western forces in July, a new book revisits the Soviet misad-venture in Afghanistan, which may have lessons for the future of the country as well. Virus A, authored by Vladimir Snegirev and Valery Samunin (published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta) trac-es back the chain of tragic and bloody events that led to the decision to send Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979. In the book subtitled “How we be-

came consumed with invading Afghanistan,” the authors take April 27, 1978 as the starting point of their research when the Saur (April) Revolution roared through Kabul.On this fateful day, Afghan President Muhammad Daoud Khan, his family and support-ers were brutally murdered, and the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power. On December 27 1979, Soviet Spe-cial Forces arrived in Afghani-stan, their official mission be-

ing to provide protection for Afghan President Hafizullah Amin. The authors believe that this 20-month period from April 27, 1978 to December 27, 1979 played a defining role not just in Afghanistan’s modern his-tory, but also impinged on how global politics would play out in the future. The book reads like a thriller and bristles with torrid sub-plots involving a variegat-ed cast of personalities ranging from politburo members to low-ranking Afghan revolutionaries.

title: Virus Aauthors: VlAdimir snegireV, VAlery sAmunin

afghan villagers watch as nato soldiers patrol a small town in the arghandab dis-trict.

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bookmarks06 Russia india RepoRtin association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011culture

www.indolink.com/Poetry/tgorindx.html Rabin-dranath Tagore’s poems in Englishwww.russiancentre.org.in Russian Centre of Science and Culture in New Delhi

Vasily gorshkoVRiR

Pitching for greater space cooperation with india, cosmonaut Viktor savinykh calls for creating a monument for yuri gagarin, the first man to go into space, in mumbai.

Needed: A monument in the name of Yuri Gagarin in India

50 years of space travel indo-Russian venture Chandrayan-2 is progressing well, says Russian cosmonaut

Russian cosmonaut Viktor Savinykh’s recent trip to Mumbai early June evoked much interest among space enthusiasts. Delivering a spe-cial lecture at the Nehru Cen-

boost the Indo-Soviet rela-tionship," said Savinykh, the flight commander of the Soyuz T-13, the first human space-flight mission to make a suc-cessful landing on an inert space station (Salyut 7).Last month, the Russian con-sulate had written to the state government requesting that the new Lalbaug flyover in Mumbai is named after Ga-garin. “If not a monument, at least name the flyover after him. In Russia, there are so

Viktor savinykh was a flight commander of three successful space missions; spent 252 days in space; has been honoured twice as the hero of the soviet union.

many roads and places named in honour of great Indian fig-ures,” said Savinykh.The veteran cosmonaut also spoke movingly about the first man in space – Yuri Gagarin. Striking an upbeat note about the prospects of Chan-drayaan-2, a joint lunar ex-ploration undertaken by the Indian Space Research Orga-nization (ISRO) and the Rus-sian Federal Space Agency (RKA), he said it was progress-ing as planned.

mastura kalandaroVaASiA AND AfRiCA ToDAy

as the world celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of nobel-winning indian poet rabindranath tagore, mastura kalandarova recalls his tryst with soviet russia.

tagore loved russia till his dying daymemoirs 'i am leaving for America. But the memory of Russia continues to dominate my being', wrote Tagore in 1930

“On August 7, 1941, in Calcutta, a man died. His mortal remains perished, but he left behind him a heritage, which no fire could consume. It was a heritage of words and music and poetry, of ideas and of ideals and it has the power to move us today and in the days to come. We, who owe him so much, salute his memory… ” This is how the fa-mous film director Satyajit Ray described the great humanist, poet, writer and Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who is being celebrated by the global community this year to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.The name of the great poet was known and loved even in pre-revolutionary Russia. In 1917, several translations of his cel-ebrated collection of poems Gitanjali were simultaneously published, including those ed-ited by future Noble Prize re-cipient and writer Ivan Bunin. The memoirs of Nicholas Roer-ich attest to Tagore’s popularity in Russia: “Gitanjali came like a revelation. The poems were read at gatherings and at pri-vate ‘at homes’. Only true talent could create such a precious mutual understanding. Now everyone at once became im-bued with love for Tagore."The tradition of poetic transla-

tre on the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight, the 71-year-old cosmonaut said he would like to see a monument for Yuri Gagarin in Mumbai. “Yuri Gagarin was a great man. Moreover, he also visited Mumbai. If that (mon-ument) happens, I would come for its inauguration and I will help in every possible way,” said Savinykh."It is important to have a mon-ument in the name of Gagarin in India, in order to further

tions of Tagore into Russian continued later as well, with Boris Pasternak translating his works in the 1950-1960s and Anna Akhmatova doing the same in the 1960s.In 1926, the Soviet government published his collected works. Tagore tried on several occa-sions to visit Soviet Russia, but it proved to be a difficult ven-ture to pull off. By late 1917, all ties between Russia and British India had been cut off. Only in 1926, while travelling in Eu-rope, the poet met USSR Am-bassador Alexander Arosyev in Stockholm and expressed his profound desire to visit the So-

viet he Union. Soon after, he re-ceived an official invitation.Tagore arrived in the Soviet Union on September 11, 1930. “The sole purpose of my trip to Russia was to learn about the methods for spreading educa-tion and its results. I had very little time,” Tagore wrote. “I am not a politician. My sole pur-pose in life is enlightenment”.In Soviet Russia the poet met hundreds of people from writ-ers, musicians and scientists to common workers. He visited schools and orphanages. Tagore was struck by the scope of the cultural construction under-way in the Soviet Union. Tagore

has written that he was amazed at how a people who had car-ried out a revolution, endured dreadful famine and a bloody civil war could be were fond of visiting art museums and the-atres. The overcrowded the-atres also left an indelible im-pression on Tagore, who made art as foundation of his educa-tional system in Shantiniket-an.In September 1930, an exhibit of Tagore’s work opened at the State Museum of New Western Art featuring more than 200 watercolours. “Needless to say, the paintings are unusual… yet the people came in endless

crowds. Five thousand people visited the exhibit in just a few days,” he wrote.Tagore’s trip ended on Septem-ber 24, 1930 with a festive con-cert at the Pillar Hall of the House of Unions. The author’s poems were read from the stage in Bengali.Tagore shared his impressions of his trip to the Soviet Union in articles that comprise the collection Letters from Russia. These letters were published in Bengali in the Probasi maga-zine. The English translation only saw the light of day after India was granted indepen-dence. Letters from Russia were only translated into Russian for the first time in 1956. The pub-lication excluded two of the fif-teen letters, in which Tagore made negative comments about USSR. Way back in the 1930s, Tagore foretold the political processes that would take place in the country at the end of the twentieth century. Speaking about the imminent collapse of Bolshevism, Tagore wrote, “It is possible that in this age Bolshe-vism is the cure, but medical treatment cannot be perma-nent; the day when the regime prescribed by the doctor is lift-ed will be a celebratory one for the patient”. He also prophe-sised the fate of socialism in the USSR: “… they cannot rely upon what they ultimately built in a short time with the use of cruelty since this con-struction is not capable of bear-ing the burden of eternity,” he wrote.In his letters and interviews, Tagore tried to speak objective-

ly about the economic and cul-tural achievements of the So-v ie t Union , whi le not overlooking its shortcomings.“After my trip to Russia, today I am leaving for America,” he wrote at the end of one of his letters. “But the memory of Rus-sia continues to dominate all my being. The thing is the other countries I have visited did not stir up my imagination in the same way. Their business-like energy is scattered around var-ious types of activities, be it pol-itics, hospitals, schools or mu-seums. And here… everyone is united by common aspirations. Such a profound unity of souls is impossible in countries where property and energy are sepa-rated into personal interests”.Tagore remained interested in the Soviet Union until the end of his life. He followed all the news coming out of the Soviet Union from the very start of the World War II. Half an hour be-fore going into surgery, Tagore asked his friend, “Tell me, what have you heard about Russia?” When his friend replied that things on the front were im-proving, his face lit up and he exclaimed, “Oh, how could it be otherwise? That is how it should be. Things had to get better. They can do it. Only they can do it!” Tagore believed that the So-viet Union was the only real force capable of destroying fas-cism.On May 7, 1941, Rabindranath Tagore turned 80. Three months later, on August 7, the poet passed away, leaving a monu-mental legacy the world is cel-ebrating now.

rabindranath tagore meets a group of schoolchildren. moscow. 1930.

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in association with rossiyskaya gazeta, russia tHe times of india wednesday_June 29_2011

www.cinema.mosfilm.ru Popular Soviet and Russian films with English subtitles for free viewing www.rosfilm.net Archive of over 8000 Russian films to stream for free cinema

aanchal anand

SPEciAlly foR RiR

All three of them immediate-ly broke into excited recol-lections of their beloved Bol-lywood moments. With dramatic gestures, their faces went from happy to sad to happy again, recounting what I believe were dialogues and scenes from movies. But sadly, it was all lost on me. Even when they asked me if I had seen a certain movie, I couldn’t decode the Russian version of the name. All I could grasp were the accent-ed names of Amitabh Bach-chan, Dharmendra and Raj Kapoor.Sensing my frustration at not being able to understand, they switched to a language that did not need to be translated.“Ichak dana…beechak dana…dane upar dana…ichak dana…” My jaw dropped. “You know this song?”They answered my question with another jaw-dropper. “Mud mud ke na dekh…mud mud ke…”It was a moment of revelation. Even in Hindi, they knew more lyrics than I did!

And then one day, I was sitting with Vladimir and Galina, who were smitten with Bolly-wood. “Have you watched Zita i Gita? It is our all-time favou-rite.” “Zita i Gita?” What could that be? Gita was definitely In-dian but Zita, if anything, sounded Greek. “It used to come on TV all the time...with the two girls...who looked like each other...and there was a fat lady," Vladmir explained.After countless failed attempts on all previous occasions, I had finally cracked this one. “Seeta aur Geeta!” And how funny to discuss with 30-year-old Russians a movie that most 30-year-old Indians haven’t seen! (In case you’re as tempt-ed as I was to check out Seeta aur Geeta dubbed in Russian, then here is a link: http://my-hit.ru/film/3023/online)Such stories float around ev-erywhere in Russia, and even bring perks. I was often of-fered discounts at local stores, and a Kyrgyz restaurant-own-er at Lake Baikal did not let me pay for coffee just because I came from the country of Bollywood, and Seeta and Geeta!

Imagine this: you walk into the lobby of one of Rus-sia’s best hotels and go to

the reception with a request. But before you finish your sentence, the grey-haired doorman comes up to you and asks excitedly: “Are you from India?”You say "Yes", wondering what was so important that he left the door to grab your attention. He hears your an-swer, smiles and takes two steps back.“Do you know this?” Without warning, he breaks into per-fectly paced pelvic thrusts and starts singing, “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy…aaja, aaja, aaja…”As an Indian in Russia, you’re never too far from people’s Bollywood stories. The second they sniff you’re from India, they’ll tell you how much they love Mithun Chakraborty, hum their fa-vourite tunes, and even count how many times they’ve watched movies of the “Indi-an Charlie Chaplin” – the name that stuck with Raj Kapoor after Mera Naam Joker. Iconic romantic actor Raj Kapoor’s masterpiece 'Shree 420' and 'Awara' were huge hits in Russia in the 1960s. And the famous song 'Mera Joota Hai Japani... Lal Topi Russi' is still sung in restaurants across Moscow and performed at receptions and events that bring Indi-ans and Russians together. India RV, a Russian cable television channel focused on India, shows Bollywood movies that are very popular with the older generation, which still revels in nostal-gia about Bollywood films in the Soviet era.Over time, I got used to this enthusiasm and even antici-pated it. But my first months in Russia were full of sur-prises, much like the door-man’s dance.My very first encounter was on a train. Back then, my Russian wasn’t good and my weak vocabulary forced me into being quieter than I am usually. In fact, it was only at dinner time that some sem-blance of a conversation began from my end. “Where are you from?” asked the lady in her mid-40s. “From India.”“From India?!” the old cou-ple to my right said in uni-son.

heart-to-heart

Recalling Bollywood moments in Russia

As an indian in Russia, you are never too far from people’s Bollywood stories.

'i will love to work with big b'

interview SlAvA RAzBEgAEv

no film induStRy likE Bollywood, SAyS

RAzBEgAEv who ActS in An indo-RuSSiAn moviE

arshie chevalwalarir

once a shy boy, vyacheslav razbegaev is now one of russia's highest-paid actors. Popularly known as slava, he is upbeat about Players, an indo-russian film venture.

how are you finding india? will you visit again?It has been great. I’m glad I came at this time of the year; monsoon is my favourite sea-son. It’s really beautiful and the weather is lovely. I find the food a bit too spicy for my taste, but I want to come back anyway. I’d love to come and visit again and enjoy the cul-ture, which we hear so much about back home.

what was it like to shoot for a bollywood movie as opposed to doing movies for the rus-sian industry?It hasn’t been very different. If anything, it’s actually eas-ier. With the way everything is so perfectly planned and organised here, the entire process is less complicated than usual. Of course, there is no denying the language bar-rier, but everyone around is so co-operative and hospita-ble, that everything just be-comes easier and comfort-able.

did you have much difficulty with dancing?I like to believe dancing is difficult and yes, I did find it a little tiresome. But I found a beautiful partner in Bipa-sha (Basu). It is almost im-possible to go wrong with her. I wasn’t technically perfect but emotionally, she inspired me.

how is bollywood perceived in russia and by the russian film fraternity?We have great respect for the Hindi film industry. A huge number of movies are made every year and so many of them are simply great. Not to forget there are so many as-pects to Bollywood movies – the music, atmosphere and actors. I personally find Bolly-wood extremely charming. There is no other film industry, which incorporates so much music and dancing in their films, and is still so vibrant.

do you intend to act in more bollywood films?If an opportunity comes by, I won’t let it pass. I would love to work with Amitabh Bach-chan. I have watched most of his movies and I admire his artistry. I believe it would be a great experience and it is defi-nitely one I hope to have in the future.

raj kapoor has a great fan fol-lowing in russia. did you watch his movies while growing up?I watched almost all his films growing up. He is brilliant, and I’m a big fan of his work.

which hindi movie is your fa-vourite?My favourite Hindi movie is Sholay and incidentally, I had the chance to work with the children of two of the stars from the movie (Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol).

do you believe that working in this movie is your way of build-ing stronger ties between the two countries?I would like to believe that it is. Last year, when the Rus-sian president visited India, he also visited a Bollywood studio and invited them to shoot in Russia. My partici-pation in this movie is a di-rect result of his visit. I am very glad that it happened and at some small level, I be-lieve this is an Indo-Russian film. This is a small step to-wards building a cultural bond between the two coun-tries. I look forward to visit-ing one day a Russian cultur-al centre in Mumbai, where the citizens can learn the lan-guage and more about the culture to be better connect-ed with Russia.

as an actor, what is your dream project?My dream project would be to act in a children’s movie. If I do get the chance to be a part of such a movie, I would seize it. My dream is to entertain children; and I intend to fulfill this dream by starring in a fairytale someday.

vyacheslav razbegaev and alena babenko in a movie titled 'zhest'.

biograPhy

A gifted actorBorn on October, 14, 1965 in Moscow, Vyacheslav Razbe-gaev studied in a boarding school, where he learned Ur-du. He served in the Russian Army in the Far East region of Russia. His parents want-ed him to be an engineer, but his heart was in acting. After returning from the Army, he started to work at the art de-partment in Mosfilm studio. He trained at the famous Moscow Actors’ School MHAT and af-ter graduating in 1992 worked in Red Army Theatre, Moscow, for 14 years. One of the actors

who participated in ‘Oreste-ia’ by Peter Stein, he has been working at Independent The-atrical Project since 2006. A gifted actor, he has won mil-lions of hearts playing dif-ferent roles in more than 50 movies from 1991-2011. One of Russia’s highest paid actors, he plays the role of an Army General in'Players,' an Indo-Russian film directed by Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla which is releasing later this year. The film, shot in Murmansk and St Petersburg, boasts an impres-sive Indian starcast that in-cludes Abhishek Bachchan, Bi-pasha Basu and Bobby Deol. Razbegeav is looking forward to his debut in Bollywood and is keen to learn Hindi.

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BOOKMARKS08 RUSSIA INDIA REPORTIN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA THE TIMES OF INDIA WEDNESDAY_JUNE 29_2011

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ALEXANDER ERASTOVRIR

A native of Sochi, Russian tennis star Elena Vesnina is upbeat about the prospects of winning a Grand Slam tournament with her Indian doubles partner, Sania Mirza.

The Russian-Indian pair lost in Paris, but all is not over yet. This year, they have at least two more chances to win a Grand Slam doubles tourna-ment — at Wimbledon which kicks off on July 20, and at the U.S. Open, which starts on Au-

gust 29.

They say that tennis is a con-tinuation of life. But only on court. That is, those qualities which a player possesses in life manifest themselves on the tennis court. That Elena Vesni-na is a true professional and master of technique and tac-tics is beyond doubt. But Lena, as she is popularly known, is also an extraordinarily outgo-ing person, cheerful and kind. These qualities make her a re-doubtable doubles player. As for her purely “tennis” abili-ties, she has quick reactions and a marvelous sense of the ball — the most indispensable qualities in a doubles partner.

Interestingly, Lena has al-ready been in

t h r e e Grand Slam fi-

nals, the most impor-tant and prestigious

competitions in ten-nis: the French Open in 2009 with Victoria (Vika) Azarenko; Wimbledon in 2010 with Vera Zvonareva;

and the French Open in 2011 with Sania

Mirza.You would think that on her third t r y , Lena would h av e won a Grand S l a m title, but alas, the Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka was stronger. Vesnina has yet to win any singles tournaments, only doubles. In doubles, she is a five-time champion. She

won Indian Wells in Charles-ton in 2011 with Sania and in 2008, with Dinara Sa� na; Ho-bart in 2007 with Elena Lik-hovtseva; and Quebec in 2005 with Anastasia Rodionova. Playing singles, Vesnina has reached the � nals � ve times: in Istanbul and in Tashkent (2010); in Oakland and in New Haven (2009); and in Charles-ton (2011).Vesnina recently spoke to RIR about this year’s French Open with Sania Mirza and her fu-ture plans.

Lena, it’s too bad you didn’t make it…Well, that happens. I can’t say that we played very badly or that our opponents played in-

credibly well. The Czechs waved their rackets around, and they managed every-

thing. For us, it was a little dif-� cult because we knew we had a chance of winning.

You’ve made it to Grand Slam finals every year, but with dif-ferent partners.Roland Garros is my favorite tournament. I’m thrilled that Sania and I made it to the � nal in Paris.

How would you describe Sa-nia’s game?Sania often saved me. Our sit-uation is like this: if one of us tires and starts to make mis-takes, the other one supports and shows her what to do. You can’t give your opponents easy balls, especially on return of serve. If you can’t manage that, then you need to let your part-ner try.

I noticed you apologised to each other when you made mistakes.

Tennis When I had a wrist inujury, Sania helped me regain my confidence: Elena

Of course, we did! When one of us makes a mistake, we al-ways apologise: “Oh, I’m so sorry, that was a bad shot, but I ran up in time.” However, we don’t pressurise each other.

You were formerly coached by Frenchman Samuel Sumyk, who is now training Vika Aza-renko. Then you worked with Andrei Chesnokov, a famous Russian tennis player. Now you’re working with your fa-ther, Sergei. What do you do to prepare for a doubles match?

Lena and Sania: Fired by the Grand Slam dream

My father, Sania’s father and her trainer all discuss strategies. Every-one contributes, and then during the actual match, we choose our-selves which ad-vice is the most ef-fective.

Do you get any tips from your trainers dur-ing the match?You know that’s against the rules. But we have, why hide it? We even re-ceived a warning in Paris for that. The judge in the high chair noticed that Sania’s trainer was say-ing something. Sania had to pay a � ne. So ev-erything is very seri-ous, especially at Grand Slam tournaments.

How and when did you decide to team up with Sania?Before a series of American tournaments this year, we agreed to play together. I had a wrist injury. When my wrist started to bother me less, I went back to playing tourna-ments, but only doubles. And with Sania. We won Indian Wells. After that, I told myself that I should just enjoy my game and that I could win. When you have an injury, it’s as though your whole life is on hold. Sania really helped me to regain my confidence and renewed my interest in the game.

You always say that the French Open is your favourite tourna-ment. Why?It was my first Grand Slam tournament. I played it as a

Elena Vesnina is 25. Lives in Sochi, Russia. She has won five WTA women’s doubles tournaments.

Career earnings: $2.6 million. She is single.

" In the final in Paris, we did not play our best tennis. Maybe because

our opponents didn’t feel the pressure; they weren’t the favourites, after all. Also, a lot depends not only on the level of the players, but also other small things like sleep, rest and one's physical condition. One way or another, Lena and I will prove ourselves and win the most prestigious tourna-ment — Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.

" I’ve known Vesnina for a long time, but we worked together only

briefly, during the Federation Cup match in Madrid. Like many Russian girls, she is strong-willed. Maybe the world has the wrong idea about the Russians. You have this quality of wanting to do things well.

THE QUOTES

Sania Mirza

Samuel Sumyk

Sania Mirza is 25. Lives in Hyderabad. Career earn-ings: $2.1 mil-lion. Married to Shoaib Malik, a former captain of Pakistani cricket team.

junior. I like clay. In Sochi, you can train eight months out of the year on that sur-face. My results are not the very best, but I like to play here. Roland Garros is not as good as other tournaments: it’s crowded, and there are lines for everything, includ-ing cars back to your hotel.

After Roland Garros, you re-turned to Moscow for a few days before leaving for Eng-land. It seems you did not have the time to go home to Sochi….No, I only had a couple of days in Moscow — with Sania, actually. We trained a little. I had to come back to Moscow to get my British visa. Now I’ll have to pay a re-turn visit to Sania in India.

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