The first structured foreign ministerial meeting of China, India
and Russia, held in New Delhi Wednesday, is moving the three giants
on the path to increased trilateral cooperation. The meeting helped
the three nations coordinate their thinking and strategies in
international relations as well as explore ways for further
economic and trade cooperation.
Bringing together three influential countries to address
regional and international issues, the meeting was important in
building trust, exploring areas for cooperation and defining common
interests.
The dialog between Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, his Indian counterpart Pranab
Mukherjee and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov enabled the three
to define their approaches toward international issues including
the Iranian nuclear impasse. The three advocated a negotiated
solution within the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is
expected to submit a crucial report on Iran on February 21.
Economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, was one
of the key items on the agenda of the trilateral meeting.
The Li-Lavrov-Mukherjee meeting was an outcome of the frequent
interaction among the three foreign ministers. They met three times
over the last two years: twice on the sidelines of the United
Nations General Assembly in New York and once in the Russian port
city of Vladivostok.
Meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in St Petersburg last
July, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to push forward
cooperation through a trilateral forum.
President Putin's two-day visit to India in January showed that
Russia is serious about preserving large-scale cooperation with its
key partner in Asia.
With Foreign Minister Li kicking off the China-India Friendship
Year Through Tourism during his India visit, more travel is
expected across the Himalayas this year.
There are no areas where the fundamental interests of the three
countries conflict. The difference they may have on some issues
need not hinder the trilateral relationship.
As bilateral relations move on a healthy track, the trilateral
ties are growing. Still, they are not forging an alliance that
targets any other nation or organization.
Wednesday's meeting of China, India and Russia was a step
forward in building trilateral cooperation in an increasingly small
world.
(China Daily February 15, 2007)
