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MOSCOW: Foreign ministers of India, Russia and China on Friday asked all parties in the standoff over North Korea to show restraint after Pyongyang's much-heralded rocket plunged into the sea after sparking global concerns.
"We are convinced that the reaction to these challenges needs to be exclusively diplomatic and political," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said alongside his Chinese and Indian counterparts after a meeting here. "We call on all parties to show maximum responsibility and restraint and to make efforts for a renewal of six party talks."
The statement at the end of the trilateral meeting - also known as RIC - between Lavrov, S M Krishna and Yang Jiechi came just hours before the UN Security Council was to meet in New York to discuss a possible condemnation of the launch. Now, opposition from veto-wielding China and Russia means new sanctions are highly unlikely.
Though Russia criticized North Korea for its defiant attempt to launch the rocket and China said it was "concerned by North Korea's decision", the two big powers of the region, along with India, seem to have blocked any possible unilateral action - trade restrictions or military action - by western powers against North Korea.
This is the second time in two weeks that the RIC powers have taken a joint stand on an international issue, challenging the western position. At last month's BRICS summit meeting in New Delhi, the five emerging powers had taken a collective position on the Iranian nuclear standoff and the Syrian crisis, rejecting any unilateral action against the two countries.
Now the RIC nations' collective position on North Korea shows that the balance of global power is tipping slowly and subtly. "The current international environment is witnessing dynamic shifts and volatile trends, which shall eventually delineate the contours of the future global scenario. India, Russia and China believe that they have a major role to play in addressing the global challenges," Krishna said at his joint presser with Russian and Chinese foreign minister.
"Our meeting today was yet another important occasion for the three sides to exchange views on several issues of common interest. We also reviewed cooperation among our three countries within the framework of other regional organisations such as BRICS, G-20, SCO and the East Asia Summit Process," the minister said in his opening remarks at the joint press conference. "The Joint Communique issued today reflects our common understandings on a range of issues and the decisions taken," Krishna said.
But the RIC trilateral is not all about muscle-flexing by the emerging powers. According to sources, who have been part of negotiations, besides strategic issues, the meeting also sought to consolidate cooperation in areas relating to disaster relief, agriculture and public health, communication among academic, industrial and business communities. "The purpose of this meeting was to build on the understanding achieved at the BRICS meeting and review their position in the light of latest developments in these two flashpoint countries as well as in North Korea," said a source.
Though the details of the communique are still awaited, it is clear that the RIC powers have achieved a lot of understanding on issues of mutual interest as well as matters of global concern. But that does not mean everything is hunky-dory between India and China and China and Russia. In the run-up to the RIC trilateral, China exchanged barbs with both India and Russia over oil exploration in the South China Sea. At an aside here today, Krishna and the Chinese foreign minister discussed bilateral issues, including the South China sea row, and the next steps to resolve the border dispute between the two countries.
The South China sea issue had taken an ugly turn last week when Beijing took an exception to Krishna referring to South China Sea as the "property of the world'' and calling for "trade-ways to be kept free from any national interference''.
"We hope to resolve this issue with China at the bilateral level even as our engagement with China at BRICS level and in trilateral meetings continues," said an Indian diplomat.
The last trilateral meetings were held in Wuhan, China, in 2010 and Bangalore in 2009. The 12th RIC foreign ministers meeting will be held in India.
India, Russia, China unite on North Korea - The Times of India
"We are convinced that the reaction to these challenges needs to be exclusively diplomatic and political," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said alongside his Chinese and Indian counterparts after a meeting here. "We call on all parties to show maximum responsibility and restraint and to make efforts for a renewal of six party talks."
The statement at the end of the trilateral meeting - also known as RIC - between Lavrov, S M Krishna and Yang Jiechi came just hours before the UN Security Council was to meet in New York to discuss a possible condemnation of the launch. Now, opposition from veto-wielding China and Russia means new sanctions are highly unlikely.
Though Russia criticized North Korea for its defiant attempt to launch the rocket and China said it was "concerned by North Korea's decision", the two big powers of the region, along with India, seem to have blocked any possible unilateral action - trade restrictions or military action - by western powers against North Korea.
This is the second time in two weeks that the RIC powers have taken a joint stand on an international issue, challenging the western position. At last month's BRICS summit meeting in New Delhi, the five emerging powers had taken a collective position on the Iranian nuclear standoff and the Syrian crisis, rejecting any unilateral action against the two countries.
Now the RIC nations' collective position on North Korea shows that the balance of global power is tipping slowly and subtly. "The current international environment is witnessing dynamic shifts and volatile trends, which shall eventually delineate the contours of the future global scenario. India, Russia and China believe that they have a major role to play in addressing the global challenges," Krishna said at his joint presser with Russian and Chinese foreign minister.
"Our meeting today was yet another important occasion for the three sides to exchange views on several issues of common interest. We also reviewed cooperation among our three countries within the framework of other regional organisations such as BRICS, G-20, SCO and the East Asia Summit Process," the minister said in his opening remarks at the joint press conference. "The Joint Communique issued today reflects our common understandings on a range of issues and the decisions taken," Krishna said.
But the RIC trilateral is not all about muscle-flexing by the emerging powers. According to sources, who have been part of negotiations, besides strategic issues, the meeting also sought to consolidate cooperation in areas relating to disaster relief, agriculture and public health, communication among academic, industrial and business communities. "The purpose of this meeting was to build on the understanding achieved at the BRICS meeting and review their position in the light of latest developments in these two flashpoint countries as well as in North Korea," said a source.
Though the details of the communique are still awaited, it is clear that the RIC powers have achieved a lot of understanding on issues of mutual interest as well as matters of global concern. But that does not mean everything is hunky-dory between India and China and China and Russia. In the run-up to the RIC trilateral, China exchanged barbs with both India and Russia over oil exploration in the South China Sea. At an aside here today, Krishna and the Chinese foreign minister discussed bilateral issues, including the South China sea row, and the next steps to resolve the border dispute between the two countries.
The South China sea issue had taken an ugly turn last week when Beijing took an exception to Krishna referring to South China Sea as the "property of the world'' and calling for "trade-ways to be kept free from any national interference''.
"We hope to resolve this issue with China at the bilateral level even as our engagement with China at BRICS level and in trilateral meetings continues," said an Indian diplomat.
The last trilateral meetings were held in Wuhan, China, in 2010 and Bangalore in 2009. The 12th RIC foreign ministers meeting will be held in India.
India, Russia, China unite on North Korea - The Times of India
