(Image source from: www.japantimes.co.jp)

Sergey Lavrov, the foreign Minister of Russia referred to the US over its strategic concept of Indo-Pacific region as he said that it has been initiated in order to disrupt the existing structure and contain China but he added that regarding this a small strategy has been applied by friend India.

He has also said that the use of brutal force should not influence the equitable democratic order, as he addressed the gathering at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual foreign policy event which was organized by ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

Lavrov has said that, in attempting to reconfigure the structure that is existing, the US and others have pushed the new Indo-Pacific concept.

India and Brazil have been backed by Lavrov in being the absolute candidates for permanent members of the UN Security Council. Lavrov has given a hint at a member from Africa in UNSC but another key contender, Japan was left out.

Lavrov has said that calling Asian Pacific as Indo-Pacific is evidently proving to exclude China. He stated that the terminology has to be unifying and not divisive and added saying that both the SCO and BRICS are not exclusionary.

“ When we asked the initiators how Indo-Pacific is different from Asia Pacific, we were told that it was more democratic. We don’t think so. It is rather tricky. We have to be careful about the terminology which looks benign but is not,” Lavrov said.

India’s foreign policy has been focusing majorly on the Indo-Pacific and is being pushed for its peace and stability, by the country in the last few years. However, the vision of India regarding the Indo-Pacific region includes China and it stretches from Eastern Africa to Pacific region.

Lavrov said that Indo-Pacific has been an attempt to move from an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) centered consensus building model. He also added saying that Russia appreciates ASEAN and the position of India that the Indo-Pacific strategy inclusive and is not meant for containing any country.

-Shrithika Kushangi