New Delhi: Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov said Tuesday that the combination of Russia-India-China can together be a “decisive force in world politics” if the three countries come together for a “coordinated world policy”.
Alipov was speaking at ThePrint’s Off the Cuff at The Quorum Club in Gurugram, where he added that Moscow remains eager to restore the RIC framework—a platform launched in the 1990s to encourage dialogue among the three major powers. The mechanism, which once hosted regular meetings of foreign ministers, has been largely inactive in recent years amid growing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.
“We understand, of course, the complexities of India-China relations. But regular, trilateral interaction would certainly help promote trust and understanding between the two countries,” Alipov added.
He also reflected on what he described as the deep civilisational continuity shared by India and China—an attribute, he argued, sets both nations apart from other historical powers. “There is no ancient Rome or Greece anymore. But India and China have uninterrupted civilisational traditions. Eventually, you will come together and have the strongest voice in global politics,” he said.
The envoy’s remarks come as Moscow seeks to strengthen its role as a bridge between New Delhi and Beijing, even as it deepens ties with China in the wake of Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Russia has maintained that a coordinated RIC platform could serve as a stabilising force, promoting a multipolar world order, less dominated by Western blocs.
India, however, has taken a cautious approach. In July this year, New Delhi indicated that any revival of the RIC format would depend on the “mutual convenience” of all three countries. China, by contrast, has expressed explicit support for Russia’s initiative, saying the mechanism serves “the interests of the three countries” and “upholds regional stability”.
“This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said at the time, after Russian media had quoted Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expected the resumption of the RIC format, and was discussing the issue with Beijing and New Delhi.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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