India, Russia, China discuss Iran, N Korea, terrorism

The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China on Friday held discussions on key regional and international issues, including situation in Iran, North Korean rocket launch and terrorism during a trilateral meet in Moscow.

The RIC (Russia-India-China) ministerial meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Russian and Chinese counterparts Sergey Lavrov and Yang Jiechi during which the three leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms.

According to sources, the meeting reaffirmed that action must be taken not only against the perpetrators of terrorist attacks but also against their supporters and sponsors.

The remarks came in the backdrop of increased pressure on Pakistan to act against terror organisations operating from its soil.

While New Delhi has made it clear that India will judge Pakistan ties with action on terror, China too has in the recent past sought action against the terrorists of "East Turkistan Islamic Movement", who they alleged were trained on Pakistani soil.

Official sources said the ministers condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed "that there is no justification for any acts of terrorism on any grounds."

The ministers also recognised Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and supported the resolution of the issues through political and diplomatic means and dialogue, including between the IAEA and Iran.

In his address to the media, Krishna said, "the current international environment is witnessing dynamic shifts and volatile trends, which shall eventually delineate the contours of the future global scenario."

"India, Russia and China believe that they have a major role to play in addressing the global challenges," Krishna said.

He said the 11th trilateral meeting was yet another important occasion for the three sides to exchange views on several issues of common interest.

"We also reviewed cooperation among our three countries within the framework of other regional organisations such as BRICS, G-20, SCO and the East Asia Summit Process.

"I am happy to note that the IRC foreign ministers mechanism has emerged as an important platform for close political coordination amongst the three countries. The dialogue, I felt, was stimulating and enriching," he said.

He said within the IRC mechanism, the three countries also discussed the various thematic round tables and also ways to carry forward newer initiatives in areas where they share expertise and can harness potential benefits.