China, India and Russia are set to hold their first joint
foreign ministerial meeting in New Delhi tomorrow, looking to
coordinate respective strategies in international relations as well
as determine avenues for further economic and trade
collaboration.
The meeting will conclude Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing's four-day trip to India which
began on Sunday.
This is the fourth meeting between the three ministers in the
last two years, following two sessions on the sidelines of the UN
General Assembly in New York and one in the Russian port city of
Vladivostok.
Last July, President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on close trilateral
cooperation when meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in St.
Petersburg.
Important meeting
Analysts say the meeting was of high significance since it
pooled together three influential countries to tackle regional and
global issues.
"It does not target any other country nor in any way is directed
against the West," noted Liu Jian, a senior researcher at the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Their partnership emanates from close views on economic
development and major global issues.
Liu added the three powers in the region were coordinating
efforts on the international stage to carve out a bigger say in
global politics and safeguard common interests.
Swaran Singh, associate professor at the prestigious Jawaharlal
Nehru University in New Delhi, spoke of the special responsibility
these three countries must shoulder if Asia wishes to play a part
in the formation of a future world order.
"The purpose of the trilateral meeting is to ensure stability
and peace by promoting common values such as multilateralism in
international relations," he said.
A possible agreement on economic cooperation, especially
regarding energy, is on the agenda, said Madhav D. Nalapat,
professor of geopolitics at Manipal Academy of Higher Education in
India.
The ministers will likely touch upon matters such as the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, said Nalapat, adding that peaceful solutions
to the Iran nuclear issue would also be weighed up.
Singh added all three countries must defend the UN's leading
global role and discuss the rapid changes in Central Asia.
Potential outcome
It seems that most observers are not expecting much concrete
action from the meeting, saying it will focus on building common
understanding, trust and approach. "The fact that they are meeting
is in itself an important outcome of the endeavor of evolving a
trilateral relationship," said Singh.
Nalapat stated it would be an occasion to show common concerns
over Asian development and eventually lead to the establishment of
a trilateral cooperation working mechanism before the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
(China Daily February 13, 2007)
