Why in News?
India will participate in the virtual meeting of the Russia-India-China grouping.
It might create an opening for de-escalation of tension along the Line of Actual Control with the Russian sources indicating that they support “constructive dialogue” over the tension in eastern Ladakh.
What is RIC?
RIC as a strategic grouping first took shape in the late 1990s under the leadership of Yevgeny Primakov as “a counterbalance to the Western Alliance” Primakov, a Russian politician and diplomat who was also the prime minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999, is credited with the idea for RIC. The group was founded on the basis of “ending its subservient foreign policy guided by the U.S.,” and “renewing old ties with India and fostering the newly discovered friendship with China.”
What all are the prospects of the grouping?
RIC countries occupy over 19 percent of the global landmass and contribute to over 33 percent of global GDP. All three are nuclear powers and two, Russia and China, are permanent members of the UN Security Council, They could work together on disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
What are the importance of RIC for India?
Russia has been a long-time friend of India, it not only provided the Indian arms to maintain a formidable military profile, but also provided invaluable political support to India on a variety of regional issues. Transfer of military technology has been an important part of both the old and the new Russian-Chinese relationship.
• It forms the core of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• India does not, and cannot, view this as a zero-sum game and has sought to engage both China and Russia bilaterally, as well as through a raft of organisations such as the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping
• It is important for India as an aspiring power to be able to counter China’s aspirations of being a hegemony in global world order.
What is going to be India’s stand?
India is committed to protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity even as it remains firmly convinced of the need for maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and resolution of differences through dialogue.