NEW DELHI: India, China and Russia on Wednesday called for cooperation and negotiations rather than confrontation to solve outstanding international issues. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee played host to China’s foreign minister Li Zhaoxing and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, the second such meeting to promote trilateral cooperation and use their clout to influence international issues.
The nuclear standoff between Iran and the US was discussed threadbare. After North Korea’s decision to roll back its nuclear programme, the ground for a negotiated settlement in Iran has strengthened. China’s role in North Korea was much appreciated world wide and by the US.
All three countries agree that a military confrontation which would further aggravate the already tense situation in the Persian Gulf must be avoided. Whether the trio would come together with their own peace deal for Iran is not known.
Russia and China also supported India’s aspirations for a place in the UNSC. Though the idea of the India, China, Russia triangle was initiated by Moscow to challenge the supremacy of the US, today nobody is willing to acknowledge this. All three countries emphasised that their coming together was not directed against any other country.
Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the meeting, “We shared our thoughts on the political, economic and security aspects of the global situation, the present world order and recent developments in various areas of mutual concern. We agreed that cooperation rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs. We also agreed on the importance of the UN the need to make it more effective so that it reflects global realities.”
