India-China-Russia meeting on track despite tension

NEWDELHI: Russia on Wednesday announced a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the RussiaIndia-China (RIC) grouping will be held on June 22, removing doubts that had arisen about India’s participation in the wake of the violent clash along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Russia had recently taken the initiative to organise the virtual meeting this month, as first reported by HT on June 13.

“A video conference of the foreign ministers of the three countries is planned on June 23,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a media briefing. “During this, the ministers will exchange their views on global political, economic and financial trends following the [Covid-19] pandemic as well as the opportunities for cooperation to overcome this existing crisis,” she said.

The border stand-off was not on the agenda of the RIC meeting since the grouping, by convention, doesn’t take up bilateral issues. The situation in Afghanistan and regional connectivity projects such as the International North South Transport Corridor involving India, Russia and Iran are expected to figure in the agenda.

“The existence of the #RIC is an undisputable reality, firmly fixed on the world map. As for the current stage of the trilateral cooperation, there are no indications that it might be frozen,” Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev said in a tweet after Zakharova’s announcement.

Moscow’s relations with both New Delhi and Beijing are currently very good, and Kudashev and deputy chief of mission Roman Babushkin have spoken of the need for easing tensions for regional stability.