Foreign ministers of India, China, Russia meet in Bangalore

Oct 27, 2009, 6:36 GMT

   New Delhi - The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China began a meeting Tuesday in the southern Indian city of Bangalore to discuss business opportunities as well as political and regional issues.

   Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna and his Chinese and Russian counterparts, Yang Jiechi and Sergei Lavrov, were expected to sign a joint declaration after a two-hour meeting.

   The global economic slowdown, energy cooperation, the financial sector and climate change were expected to figure in the discussions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said on the eve of the meeting, the ninth such meeting between the three countries.

   A one-on-one meeting between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers was scheduled to follow the trilateral discussions.

   The meeting came against the backdrop of tensions between the two neighbours on border issues and the proposed visit by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to India's north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is disputed territory.

   Speaking to reporters Monday, Krishna said nothing would be off the table in the discussions between the two sides.

   The Indian government has cleared the Dalai Lama's week-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh beginning November 8 despite Chinese objections.

   The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since he fled Tibet in 1959 after its Chinese occupation.

   India accepts Tibet as a part of China but says the Dalai Lama is its honoured guest who is free to move around the country.