Russia flags rising NATO influence in Asia-Pacific region
Russia has expressed concerns to India regarding the increasing influence of the United States and its NATO allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov raised the issue during a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar shared on social media platform X: “Met FM Sergey Lavrov this afternoon at UNGA. Discussed our bilateral cooperation and regional issues.”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided further details of the discussions via a post on its Telegram channel, stating that the two ministers addressed key aspects of bilateral cooperation as well as pressing international issues, including preparations for the upcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
The Russian statement highlighted their discussion on the Asia-Pacific region, specifically regarding “Western attempts to introduce NATO elements into the region”.
In addition, Lavrov and Jaishankar discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. India has been involved in diplomatic efforts to facilitate peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. On September 21, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during a media interaction in New York, mentioned India’s role in facilitating conversations with all parties involved in the conflict.
When asked if India had a specific peace proposal, Misri stated, “We are engaged in ongoing conversations with interlocutors on all sides.”
