The Hindu : India, Russia, China Foreign Ministers to meet again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 03, 2002

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India, Russia, China Foreign Ministers to meet again

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Dec. 2. The Foreign Ministers of India, China and Russia are likely to meet again, possibly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York next year, as the three countries gauge the import of trilateral cooperation among them.

Official sources, speaking on the eve of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's visit to India, told this correspondent that China was taking considerable interest in trilateral contacts, which Russia has chosen to describe as a "triangle".

Initially, the sources said, China was not "too hot" on the issue, but had changed its mind after the Russian-promoted meeting of the three Foreign Ministers which took place in New York in September this year. In fact, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman referred to the September meeting in Beijing today — a reference which at least acknowledged that such contacts were taking place. ``We believe that this meeting is conducive to better understanding and confidence,'' the Chinese spokesman was quoted as saying Beijing.

Here, in New Delhi, the Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, said today that the Indian, Russian and Chinese Permanent Representatives at the United Nations in New York were in touch with each other on issues of common concern to the international community. "There was this proposal to have a trilateral meeting between these three countries and this was held between the three Foreign Ministers... there is a track two effort that is going on separately...'' he said. ``This is where it stands. There is no proposal for any strategic configuration that you are speaking of,'' Mr. Sibal said in response to a question at his press conference this evening.

It would appear that Russia, China and India, by cooperating with each other, are sending a subtle message to the world's only superpower — that they, too, count for something in international affairs. As of now, these contacts are expected to remain just that.

But, interestingly, trilateral cooperation comes at a time when all three are developing close ties with Washington (China, perhaps, has the most problematic relationship with the U.S.)

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