Moscow: In a significant diplomatic statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated Moscow’s “genuine interest” in reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, which has remained dormant since the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. Speaking at a major international conference in the Russian city of Perm on May 29, Lavrov emphasized the strategic importance of resuming the RIC format amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in Eurasia.
Addressing a plenary session at the conference on building a “single and equitable system of security and cooperation in Eurasia,” Lavrov noted that the time is ripe for the RIC grouping to be revitalized. He cited recent de-escalatory developments between India and China on their disputed border as a key factor encouraging renewed dialogue.
“As of today, as I understand, an understanding has been reached between India and China on how to ease the situation on the border, and it seems to me that the time has come for the revival of this RIC troika,” Lavrov stated.
The Russian foreign minister highlighted that the RIC platform, conceptualized by former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, has facilitated over 20 high-level meetings involving foreign ministers as well as economic, trade, and financial heads of the three nations. He stressed that the trilateral format remains crucial for fostering strategic balance and regional cooperation.
In a pointed criticism of Western geopolitical maneuvers, Lavrov accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of attempting to draw India into what he described as “anti-China intrigues.”
“I have no doubts that our Indian friends, and I say this on the basis of confidential conversations with them, obviously see this trend that can be actually deemed as a large provocation,” he remarked, suggesting that NATO’s efforts could destabilize the delicate balance in Asia.
The RIC format, once considered a cornerstone of Eurasian strategic dialogue, lost momentum following the deadly 2020 border clashes between India and China. However, diplomatic signals have since suggested a softening of tensions. A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, was widely seen as a thaw, with both leaders acknowledging the need to improve bilateral ties.
