The foreign minister has suggested reviving cooperation amid an easing of tensions between New Delhi and Beijing

Moscow is interested in restarting cooperation within the Russia, India, and China (RIC) format as NATO countries try to sow discord between New Delhi and Beijing, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Speaking at a Eurasian security conference on Thursday, Lavrov emphasized Russia's "genuine interest" in reviving the RIC trilateral dialogue, citing recent de-escalation along the India-China border as a timely opportunity.

"Now that, as I understand it, an understanding is being reached between India and China on how to calm the border situation, I believe the time has come to revive the RIC trio," he stated.

China and India have been locked in a military standoff along their disputed Himalayan border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), since a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. They have since held multiple rounds of talks to reduce tensions and, while some areas of friction remain, officials from the two countries have recently reported signs of de-escalation and continued military and diplomatic engagement.

In his speech, Lavrov also expressed concern about NATO's alleged attempts to involve India in anti-China strategies. "I have no doubt that our Indian friends - and I say this based on confidential conversations with them - clearly see this provocation," he said.

Lavrov previously stated that Western powers were expecting to "make our great friends and neighbors India and China clash." He claimed that this approach was part of a broader agenda to provoke confrontation in the Indo-Pacific and diminish the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the region.

His comments come as India has continued to develop its strategic cooperation with Western countries, including by taking part in joint military exercises and signing defense agreements with the US. New Delhi, however, has refrained from joining any formal alliances.

India has also maintained strong relations with Russia despite Western pressure related to the Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has opted not to join Western sanctions against Moscow and has expanded economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, becoming one of Russia's largest oil buyers. The countries have set a target of boosting trade to over $100 billion by 2030.

(RT.com)