Indo-Pacific concept initiated to disrupt existing structure, contain China: Russia’s Foreign Minister

Hitting out at the United States (US) over the concept of the Indo-Pacific, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday said it was initiated to disrupt the existing structure and contain China.

Addressing the gathering at the Raisina Dialogue, he also said that an equitable democratic order should not be influenced by use of brutal force.

Lavrov also backed India and Brazil to be permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The new Indo-Pacific concept being pushed by the US, Japan and others is an attempt to reconfigure the existing structure, 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 SCO nor BRICS is exclusionary,” Lavrov said.

“When we asked the initiators how Indo-Pacific is different from Asia Pacific, we were told it is 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,” he said.

The Indo-Pacific has been a major focus area of India’s foreign policy in the last few years and the country pushing for the peace and stability of the region.

S Jaishankar on India's strategy

India’s way is not to be disruptive and it is more of a decider than an abstainer, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

In remarks that come at a time that several countries have called for a greater Indian role in the Indo-Pacific, the minister also said it is not the India way to be mercantilist.

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