New Delhi, March 14: The picturesque Western city of Goa may witness a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Russia and China in the first week of May.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar may host this meet of his counterparts on the sidelines of foreign ministers conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang are expected to attend the foreign ministers conference of the SCO on May 4 and 5.
Russia has suggested to India to explore the possibility to hold a meeting of the RIC – Russia, India and China – on the sidelines of the SCO.
India is not averse to the idea of holding the RIC meet in Goa, as it helps India to maintain a strategic balance between Russia and China.
This is also important given the fact that India’s G20 presidency has come under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war.
It may be noted that Western nations have condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for his military aggression against the East European nation.
In addition to the G20, India is also holding the chair of the SCO this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to host the SCO summit in New Delhi before hosting the G20 summit on September 9 and 10.
EOM
