September 20, 2005
Weapon Program:
- Nuclear
Related Country:
- China
- India
The Fifth Informal Tripartite Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia, India and the People's Republic of China was held in New York on September 20, 2005.
The ministers noted with satisfaction the constructive character of tripartite engagement in the United Nations and expressed their resolve to assist in every way the elaboration under the aegis of the Organization of common approaches of the world community towards the most acute problems of our time, including the problems of use of force, a harmonious interlink of respect for state sovereignty with the need for human rights observance, and response to humanitarian crises. The ministers agreed that the chief objective of the reformation of the UN Security Council is to really enhance its ability to meet new challenges and threats. Differences over this matter should not block advance on other issues of United Nations reform.
Overall, a common position was expressed that the practical implementation of the provisions of the Declaration of Summit 2005, including the creation of new bodies, must rest on the underlying statutory principle of the universality of the United Nations.
The ministers stated that the level of terrorist threat is growing in the world. This confirms the inadmissibility of use of double standards in counteraction against terrorism and of attempts to split the antiterrorist united front on geopolitical grounds. They agreed to press for a comprehensive convention on international terrorism as well as to develop antiterrorist engagement within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, considering that India has joined the SCO as observer. The ministers voiced readiness to step up the efforts to combat drug trafficking.
The exchange of views on international problems has shown a broad coincidence of approaches regarding, inter alia, the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia and the nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula. The ministers agreed that the situation around Iran's nuclear program is not irreversible, and that all possibilities remain for the problem to be settled within the IAEA.
The ministers expressed the belief that India's acquisition of observer status in the SCO and its active involvement in the activities of the Organization will contribute to the establishment of a new quality in the integration processes within Eurasia.
The ministers spoke for enhancing the dynamism of the mutually beneficial tripartite economic partnership, primarily in such fields as transport, energy and high technologies. They expressed keenness to forge practical engagement through the SCO Business Council. The topicality was affirmed of the accord reached at the three ministers' previous meeting in Vladivostok to hold a meeting of representatives of business circles of the three countries in India in March 2006.
The ministers shared the confidence that strengthening the partnership in the tripartite format meets the long-term national interests of Russia, India and China and makes a weighty contribution to the cause of consolidating peace and stability in Asia and throughout the world.