Russia debunks Indo-Pacific initiative by US

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15

After seven former premiers took centre-stage on the opening day of the Raisina Dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the audience, the Foreign Ministers of Iran and Russia were in the limelight on the second day on Wednesday, generating global headlines with their observations. The two later called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides holding talks with their counterpart S Jaishankar, who also met several other Foreign Ministers.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov debunked the concept of Indo-Pacific being promoted by the US as “tricky” while Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spoke the language of conciliation and diplomacy to bring down tensions in West Asia following the American assassination of Gen Qasem Soleimani.

In contrast, Lavrov claimed that the Russian concept of a grand Eurasian space was more inclusive though it also meant excluding extra-regional players. “What we have actually in mind is a common space from Lisbon to Jakarta. Russian President Putin has shared this vision since 2016 which would include Eurasian Economic Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, European Union and also countries not part of any regional bloc.”

Russia, he said, was proposing a security arrangement that was at variance with military coalitions being proposed by the EU and the US. It recently revived the idea of a Gulf security mechanism. “The China-Russia-Iran joint naval exercises were meant to see how we can ensure the safety of shipping in a crucial area of world economy – and we will hold a major conference in Moscow for all the interested parties.

“We have already talked to three Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries while the other three wanted more time.” Lavrov reserved his attack on the Indo-Pacific concept while cautioning that the regional players should be careful about the terminology. Lavrov also strongly backed India and Brazil’s bid for a permanent membership in the UN Security Council, and asserted that New Delhi was among the new centres of global influence.