Lavrov reaffirms support for Russia-India-China trilateral format
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has once again expressed his support for the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue format.
'When President Putin became president, the very first three-party summit meeting between Russia, China, and India was held,' he said at the Future Forum 2050 in Moscow on Monday. 'About 20 meetings of foreign ministries took place, followed by dozens at different platforms, including meetings between the ministries of transport and economy and ever since the multipolarity is gaining momentum.'
These comments come days after he said that Moscow had a 'genuine interest' in reviving the RIC trilateral dialogue, citing recent de-escalation along the India-China border as a timely opportunity. 'Now that, as I understand it, an understanding is being reached between India and China on how to calm the border situation, I believe the time has come to revive the RIC trio,' he said at a Eurasian security conference on Thursday.
China and India have been engaged in a prolonged military standoff along their contested Himalayan border, the Line of Actual Control (LAC), following a fatal confrontation in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. Despite ongoing tensions, the two nations have conducted numerous rounds of negotiations, and although some areas of disagreement persist, officials have recently noted signs of de-escalation, accompanied by sustained military and diplomatic dialogue.
On Monday, Lavrov said that Western powers perceive multipolarity as a threat to their longstanding influence and control, rather than an opportunity to foster a more equitable society. 'Instead of an opportunity for more fairness and equality it sees a threat to its historic dominance,' he added.
Russia has long advocated multipolarity as the way forward. At the Eurasian security conference last week, Lavrov also voiced concerns over NATO's purported efforts to draw India into its anti-China strategies.
'I have no doubt that our Indian friends – and I say this based on confidential conversations with them – clearly see this provocation,' he said.
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