'It's time': Moscow genuinely interested in revival of Russia-India-China trilateral
What's the story
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed strong interest in reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) format.
"I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of...work within the format of troika—Russia, India, China—which was established...on the initiative of [Russian International Affairs Council, RIAC] Yevgeny Primakov," Lavrov said.
Speaking at an international conference in Perm, Ural Mountains, Lavrov said an understanding between India and China on border issues could pave the way for a revival of this trilateral cooperation.
Diplomatic tensions
Lavrov accuses NATO of provoking India
Lavrov has accused NATO of trying to drag India into anti-China activities, calling it a "large provocation."
He said he was sure that Indian officials are aware of this trend based on his confidential discussions with them.
The RIC format has been dormant since the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which had strained India-China relations.
Diplomatic thaw
Modi-Xi meeting signals thaw in India-China relations
However, a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024 was seen as a sign of improving bilateral ties.
The RIC, originally proposed by Russia in 1998, took shape in the early 2000s, with its inaugural summit meeting taking place in 2006.
It was soon expanded to include Brazil, forming BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China).
South Africa was then included, and the four-nation alliance was expanded to five—Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS).