Much delayed Russia-India-China foreign ministers' trilateral meet to take place on 11 December in New Delhi

New Delhi: The much delayed Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers’ trilateral meeting will take place on 11 December. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will come to New Delhi for the trilateral meeting which will be the first high-level visit from China to India after the Doka La standoff. “I can only confirm that foreign ministers of India, China, Russia will meet in New Delhi on 11 December,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. [caption id=“attachment_4214813” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. PTI[/caption] He said detailed programmes for the meeting are being worked out. The RIC meeting was planned for April in New Delhi but it had to be postponed as Wang could not confirm his participation in the meeting due to scheduling problems. There were media reports then that Wang had put off his visit to India to protest New Delhi’s decision to allow the Dalai Lama to travel to Arunachal Pradesh. However, China had dismissed those reports. As the MEA announced the dates for the trilateral meeting, the spokesperson in the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said there was a need to foster favourable external environment by India and China. “Both China and India are developing countries and face common tasks of developing economy and improving people’s well being. At a crucial stage at deepening reform and advancing modernisation, both countries need to foster a favourable external environment,” spokesperson counselor Xie Liyan said. Last week, India and China held their first meeting on the border consultation and coordination mechanism in Beijing after the Doka La standoff. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doka La since 16 June after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese army. The face-off ended on 28 August. Replying to a separate question on status of application for political asylum in India by Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti, Kumar said “I am not aware about any such application.”