The three sides are currently trying to bridge their differences on nomenclature for the vast region. Russia-India-China trilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping on the sidelines of G-20 Summit 2019 in Osaka

NEW DELHI: India, notwithstanding Quadrilateral and Japan-America-India trilateral to ensure rules-based order, is planning to involve Russia and China for the Indo-Pacific construct, and Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral will soon hold consultations to explore opportunities for the three in the Indo-Pacific region.

This is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inclusive approach for the Indo-Pacific eyeing to build confidence in a region of contesting powers and growing suspicion. RIC senior officials will soon meet to weigh opportunities for partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, ET has learnt.

The three sides will share respective perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region which is the growth centre of the world. Modi’s participation in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok will give further impetus to the Indo-Pacific partnership.

The three sides are currently trying to bridge their differences on nomenclature for the vast region; while India emphasises on Indo-Pacific, both Russia and China are keen to name it as Asia-Pacific. Also, while Russia is developing closer coordination with India on the Indo-Pacific construct, China is keeping a close watch on the Indo-US partnership and other plurilaterals in the Indo-Pacific region.

India will engage with like-minded countries to ensure rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific against China’s belligerence while simultaneously indicating to the US that India does not want to paint China as an enemy, according to informed sources.

India’s geographical construct for Indo-Pacific is wider than most countries covering from East Africa to the Pacific and focus spans from economic to security partnership.

This was clear from PM Modi’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2018, which advocated an inclusive approach in the Indo-Pacific, sources recalled.