RIC FMs to discuss key global issues

Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) are set to discuss key issues like energy security, climate change and reforms of global financial institutions at their two-day meeting in the central Chinese city of Wuhan beginning tomorrow.

The 10th meeting of the RIC Foreign Ministers is to discuss a wide range of global issues, Director of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Andrei Nesterenko, said.

They are expected to exchange views on issues like energy security, climate change and reforms of international financial institutions in the light of the just concluded G-20 summit in Seoul, which was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese leader Hu Jintao.

"Situation in Afghanistan, Iranian nuclear problem and West Asia settlement would be among the regional issues to be discussed by RIC Foreign Ministers," Nesterenko said.

The three Foreign Ministers are also expected to discuss their cooperation in the multilateral fora in Asia-Pacific region for a new, better security architecture and the Indian side would be apprised of the joint initiative of Russian and Chinese Presidents on strengthening the security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nesterenko said that cooperation in RIC format is contributing to the formation of a multi-polar world.

He noted the cooperation of the three countries is also acquiring practical dimension in disaster management, agriculture and health care.

The three countries are also to discuss plans for their interaction within the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in which India has an observer status.

Both Moscow and Beijing at their previous meetings had expressed their desire for a greater Indian role in the developmental programmes in Central Asian member states of the SCO.

Foreign ministers of Russia, India and China have been meeting in trilateral format since 2003, when they first gathered in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly.

In 2005, Russia had hosted first stand alone meeting of RIC Foreign Ministers in Vladivostok, since then they alternatively meet on each-other's territory. The previous meeting of RIC Foreign Ministers was held in Bangalore in October 2009.