Russia, India, China call for global action against terrorism

Foreign ministers of Russia, India and China meeting in New Delhi have called for effective implementation of existing international commitments to counter terrorism even as they condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the 35th Russia-India-China (RIC) ministerial meeting on Monday the three countries expressed concern over the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) falling into the hands of terrorists. They expressed hope that the UN will ensure a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, stable, orderly, accessible and equitable information and communication technology environment.

The text of the statement, issued jointly by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese and Russian counterparts, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov, however, has no reference to Pakistan, the origin of all terror forms and its various terror outfits.

The leaders, however, called for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

The three also affirmed that outer space should be preserved for peaceful exploration and use by current and future generations.

The three nations also expressed deep concern over the continuing conflict in Yemen and the tension on the Korean peninsula as a result of the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of North Korea.

The discussions included issues like the challenges of the global economy, increasing terrorism, transnational organized crime, smuggling of drugs, natural and man-made disasters, climate change, and changing political scenario in Middle East and North Africa.

In a press statement, Sushma Swaraj said the discussions were focused on four broad cluster of areas - economic and developmental issues, fight against terrorism; global / multilateral issues and regional issues.

The external affairs minister said to enable them to take advantage of the economic opportunities available In India, she invited China and Russia for a more intensive trade and economic partnership with India especially since the ease of doing business here has improved.

In the recently released Ease of Doing Business report of the World Bank, India has improved its position from 142nd in 2014 to 100th place this year.

She also pointed to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which mirrored India's own vision of development. The UN Summit on Sustainable Development held on 25 September 2015 in New York has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets with poverty eradication as its overarching focus.

Swaraj, put across India's views on the significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist outfits like Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and LeT that directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development.

India, she said, strongly recommended a comprehensive policy for dealing with global terrorism, which should ideally include dealing with extremism, countering religious fanaticism, preventing recruitment of terrorists, disrupting terrorist movements, stopping all sources for financing of terrorism, stopping flow of FTFs (Foreign Terrorist Fighters), dismantling terrorist infrastructure, and countering terrorist propaganda through the internet, but we should not limit ourselves to these only.

On combating climate change, Swaraj called for a ensuring fair implementation of the Paris Agreement based on the principles laid down in the Convention (UNFCCC), especially equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility.

Swaraj also proposed that the next RIC meeting be held in 2018 in New Delhi, which was accepted by Russia and China.

She also proposed that the dialogue between RIC young diplomats organised by China in January 2017 should be carried forward. ''Next year we will welcome young diplomats from China and Russia to India.''

In separate meetings with Lavrov and Wang Yi, Swraj said she had a frank and forward-looking exchange on a wide-range of issues and discussed bilateral relations in a comprehensive manner.

''Foreign minister Wang Yi and I agreed that we should further strengthen our mutual trust to develop a better understanding between the two parties. And it will be better to meet again and without agenda, which will help us to expand our mutual understanding.

''Foreign minister Lavrov and I reviewed our bilateral relations and both of us were satisfied that this is the 70th year of establishing diplomatic relations between us and more than 100 programs were organised in the two countries to commemorate the 70th anniversary,'' she said.

She said RIC, which was established in 2002, is working very effectively. Its meetings are being conducted regularly and it provides us with a platform where the three major countries of the world, Russia, China and India, can openly have discussion on issues among themselves as well as other international and regional issues.