Trilateral cooperation key to democratisation of international relations

HARBIN (China): Closer cooperation between China, India and Russia is 'conducive' for the creation of a multi-polar world and democratisation of international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Wednesday.

"Through this trilateral meeting, we have been able to cooperate closely to create a better international environment and a better environment in our own neighbourhood," Yang said while hosting a luncheon in honour of his Indian and Russian counterparts here in the northeast Chinese city.

"This format is also conducive for the creation of multipolarisation and democratisation of international relations," Yang, also host of the third stand-alone trilateral meeting of three Foreign Ministers, said even as senior official of the three sides stress that their cooperation was not targeted at a third party.

"The three major countries, Russia, India and my own countries are all developing very rapidly. We are all contributing in our own way to peace, stability and development," he said.

The three Foreign Ministers are expected to discuss regional and international issues and expansion of trilateral cooperation, official sources said.

"We are all looking forward to this afternoon's trilateral of the three Foreign Ministers," Yang said.

"I am sure that with our joint efforts this meeting will be crowned with success," Yang said while toasting with his Indian and Russian counterparts Pranab Mukherjee and Sergei Lavrov, stressing on the 'ever-growing friendship and cooperation between China, Russia and India and for the good health and happiness of everyone'.

He noted that the Foreign Ministers have many topics to discuss during their meeting and thanked New Delhi and Moscow for their close cooperation and support during the process of the preparatory work.

Though the visit by the Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers to Harbin is short, Yang hoped that the two ministers will get a glimpse of the northeast Chinese city, which the Chinese Foreign Minister described as one of the most beautiful in China.

Earlier, Mukherjee, accompanied by senior officials arrived in Harbin by a special plane.

Wednesday's three-way meeting will be the third stand-alone trilateral Foreign Ministers' meeting after the last one in New Delhi on February 14, 2007 and the first one in Vladivostok on June 2, 2005.

The three Foreign Ministers have also met on the sidelines of multilateral forums in September 2002, September 2003, October 2004 and September 2005.

The former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov first mooted the trilateral relationship between India, China and Russia during a visit to New Delhi in 1998.

The first Summit Meeting among the leaders of India, Russia and China took place on July 17, 2006 in St Petersburg on the sidelines of the meetings among G-8 and outreach countries.