The first structured foreign ministerial meeting of China, India and Russia, held in New Delhi Wednesday, is moving the three giants on the path to increased trilateral cooperation. The meeting helped the three nations coordinate their thinking and strategies in international relations as well as explore ways for further economic and trade cooperation.

Bringing together three influential countries to address regional and international issues, the meeting was important in building trust, exploring areas for cooperation and defining common interests.

The dialog between Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov enabled the three to define their approaches toward international issues including the Iranian nuclear impasse. The three advocated a negotiated solution within the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is expected to submit a crucial report on Iran on February 21.

Economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, was one of the key items on the agenda of the trilateral meeting.

The Li-Lavrov-Mukherjee meeting was an outcome of the frequent interaction among the three foreign ministers. They met three times over the last two years: twice on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and once in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.

Meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in St Petersburg last July, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to push forward cooperation through a trilateral forum.

President Putin's two-day visit to India in January showed that Russia is serious about preserving large-scale cooperation with its key partner in Asia.

With Foreign Minister Li kicking off the China-India Friendship Year Through Tourism during his India visit, more travel is expected across the Himalayas this year.

There are no areas where the fundamental interests of the three countries conflict. The difference they may have on some issues need not hinder the trilateral relationship.

As bilateral relations move on a healthy track, the trilateral ties are growing. Still, they are not forging an alliance that targets any other nation or organization.

Wednesday's meeting of China, India and Russia was a step forward in building trilateral cooperation in an increasingly small world.

(China Daily February 15, 2007)