New Delhi: Foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) will on Monday deliberate on a range of important regional and global issues in New Delhi, including ways to tackle the threat of terrorism and extremism, at a key meeting of the trilateral grouping.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to India also marks the first high-level visit to India by a Chinese leader after the Doklam face-off.
India is expected to strongly push for strengthening cooperation among the three countries in effectively countering terrorism and naming Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the RIC communique, citing a similar move by the Brics grouping.
Before the trilateral talks, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart during which a number of major issues are likely to be discussed. Ms Swaraj will also hold a bilateral meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
Sources indicated that the deliberations at the bilateral meeting between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers are expected to cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of importance including efforts to prevent military face-offs like the one that occurred earlier this year at Doklam in Bhutanese territory.
China continues to block India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group as well as oppose New Delhi’s efforts to get Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar banned by the UN. This is expected to be taken up by Ms Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart.
China, meanwhile, has been concerned about the proposed quadrilateral in the Indo-Pacific involving India, Japan, the US and Australia and could raise the matter with New Delhi.
Mr Wang will also meet his Russian counterpart Mr Lavrov. In the RIC meet, India is likely to stress on a collective approach by the three countries in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the south-east Asian region, according to news agency reports. The situation in Afghanistan, West Asia and the Korean Peninsula are also expected to come up for discussion.
Russia, India’s time-tested friend, is also concerned about New Delhi’s growing strategic proximity to the US but India has left no stone unturned to assure Russia that New Delhi will always stand with it on issues of importance.
