Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calls Indo-Pacific concept divisive
"We should be careful of terminology which looks very benign but is something else," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today at a New Delhi event.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has slammed Western initiatives such as the 'Indo-Pacific' strategy and the idea of a 'rules based order'. He called it "divisive" and an attempt to "reconfigure existing structures".
Speaking at a New Delhi event on Wednesday, he said, "Why do you need to call Asian Pacific as Indo-Pacific? The answer is evident...to exclude China. Terminology should be unifying, not divisive. Neither the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nor the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping is exclusionary."
The event features two important foreign ministers -- Iran's and Russia's. Both agreed with each other on America's designs for the region.
Sergey Lavrov said that when Iran asked the US why was there a need to have a new concept, it was told that Indo-Pacific was "more open".
Warning against falling for such ideas, the minister said, "We should be careful of terminology which looks very benign but is something else. Its an attempt to reconfigure exisiting structures,"
India has welcomed and been a part of the Indo-Pacific strategy, which has gained weightage in the last few years. It has been a concept that countries like Russia, China, Iran have stood against, in an attempt to distance themselves from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)-centered consensus building model.
Lavrov said, "Indo-Pacific is frankly to contain China...Indo-Pacific does not include Africa and the Persian Gulf. Eurasia is entire space from Lisbon to Jakarta..."
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The Russian foreign minister was very clear that there was a need to create a more inclusive structure, where new centres of economic might and political influence such as India can find space.
Lavrov said the G7 "can't decide everything" while pitching for the G20 grouping, which he said was a "workable organisation."
He reiterated Russia's position of India's inclusion as a permanent member in the United Nations.
"We believe India should be permanent member of the United Nations Security Council", he said.