India, China to meet in Moscow today as part of RIC

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NEW DELHI | Sept 10, 2020:

External Affairs ministers of India, Russia and China will have a luncheon meeting in Moscow today on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers meet.

This is an important meeting as India, China and Russia are also part of Russia India China – RIC grouping which focuses on mutual cooperation between three countries.

Even though there is no confirmation on the bilateral meeting of Indian and Chinese foreign ministers as yet, Chinese foreign ministry yesterday confirmed this during a press conference in Beijing.

It said that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of relevant member states.

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Moscow to attend the council of foreign ministers (CFM) of SCO meeting which will exchange views on regional and relevant global issues.

Jaishankar held bilateral dialogues with different member states including Russia.

All eyes are on External Affairs Minister's visit to Moscow as it comes on the heels of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who met his Chinese counterpart in Moscow last week.

Apart from the SCO forum's regional importance, this visit becomes all the more important as it will be the second in-person ministerial-level engagement between India and China amid the current border standoff.

India, Russia and China are part of many regional groupings like SCO, RIC, BRICS and a peaceful resolution of India-China border standoff will benefit the entire region.

India has been constantly demanding to restore the status quo of April which was based on bilateral agreements but the Chinese side has "never replied" clearly to it.

This remains the central point. To break this deadlock, talks must happen at the highest political level to develop strategic convergence and to come out of the state of strategic miscommunication as pointed out by experts.