China's Blocks, Russia's Blame

Beijing shields Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN, while Moscow accuses the West of militarising India through QUAD—Delhi holds firm to its multi-alignment strategy

- PRABHU DAYAL

Speaking at a conference on Security and Cooperation in Eurasia in the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains on May 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's interest in reviving the Russia-China Troika (RIC). Lavrov said: "I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of the troika -- Russia, India, China -- which was established many years ago on the initiative of (ex-Russian prime minister) Yevgeny Primakov, and which has organised meetings more than 20 times at the ministerial level since then, not only at the level of foreign policy chiefs but also the heads of other economic, trade and financial agencies of the three countries." He also said, "Now that, as I understand, an understanding has been reached between India and China on how to calm the situation on the border, it seems to me that the time has come to revive this RIC troika".