No Immediate Russia-India-China Talks Planned, Sources Confirm

Sources have indicated that there are no immediate plans for a meeting under the Russia-India-China (RIC) framework. Discussions regarding the scheduling of such a trilateral dialogue are also not currently underway. A Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson had previously highlighted the RIC mechanism as a platform for the three nations to discuss global and regional issues. The spokesperson also addressed the India-Russia summit, stating that the timing of the next summit in Delhi would be determined by mutual convenience. Furthermore, the spokesperson noted the importance of addressing Indian industry concerns following a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and China’s Foreign Secretary Wang Yi. The spokesperson also discussed the upcoming SCO meeting, saying that the participation of countries will be finalized as per mutual convenience. China’s Foreign Ministry has expressed its willingness to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation, emphasizing the benefits of such cooperation for all three nations, as well as for regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress. The RIC grouping originated in the late 1990s under Russian politician Yevgeny Primakov, and the combined landmass of the RIC countries accounts for over 19 percent of the global total.