New Delhi : Eastern Europe may be opening up to Indian skilled labour. In a region notoriously averse to migrants, the Czech Republic last week told India it would offer 500 high-skill long-stay visas to Indian professionals from October. This was one of the outcomes of discussions between President Ram Nath Kovind and the Czech leadership during Kovind’s recent visit to the country.
The offer is significant because it comes at a time when these countries have been fairly critical of Europe’s current leadership for opening their doors to refugees from the West Asia and north Africa.
India is broadening its interest in European countries, from its traditional big partners, France and Germany. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a first summit with Nordic countries. Kovind last week met eastern European leaders from Bulgaria and Czech Republic, as well as India’s old ally, Cyprus.
India and Czech Republic have also begun talks on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, which is likely between the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership, centred in Haryana and the Czech government. In the first sign that the two countries may be moving beyond the Tatra trucks scandal, the Czech company signed an exploratory MoU with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd during Kovind’s visit.
India is planning to tap into the science and tech knowledge base that exists in these countries as a result of their old Soviet experience. But they need the market and manufacturing capabilities to scale up their abilities. India’s move into these countries comes after China has already made a splash with its “16+1” initiative, bringing Chinese manufacturing and excess capacity to central and eastern European countries. A recent summit in the Bulgarian capital showcased the Chinese offer of extending the BRI to these countries, sparking concerns in the rest of Europe. Brussels looks askance at the Chinese presence, worried it might lead to the disintegration of the EU, as China seeks to use these countries to push its agenda in Europe.
India rings no such alarm bells in Europe, even though its been late to the party. Sources said, the difference in the Indian approach from the Chinese is that India is not seeking to flood their markets, rather want to collaborate with their technologies and the power of the Indian market and industry.
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