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Disappointing Cauvery Verdict

The first structured and sixth trilateral conference between India, Russia, and China ended in New Delhi with an emphasis on cooperation rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs." The nations also discussed ways to deal with global terrorism, drug trafficking, West Asia conflict resolution, North Korea, situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and trilateral ties in the areas of energy, technology and economic relations.

Apparently, the Iranian nuclear issue took central stage in the deliberation between External Affairs Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. In a press conference at the end of their meeting, they all agreed in a joint press conference that "that Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully and through dialogue and negotiations." Mukherjee had just returned from Tehran and called for a central role for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The three nations also averred that the trilateral cooperation was not directed against the interest of any country. They expressed their "conviction that democratisation of international relations is the key to building an increasingly multi-polar world order that would be based on the principle of equality of nations - big or small, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, international law and mutual respect." They proposed that the United Nations was "an appropriate instrument" to promote a multi-polar world order but also asked member-states to make the world body more transparent, efficient and reflective of contemporary realities. Significantly, the joint communiqué said that "the Foreign Ministers of Russia and China indicated that their countries attached great importance to the status of India in international affairs, and understand and support India's aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations" where for the first time China has openly supported a larger role for India in the UN.

To further these ideas, India has proposed to host a trilateral seminar in 2007 on "emerging geo-strategic trends" including "energy, biotechnology and public health" with the participation of officials and scholars.