Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Sunday (September 7, 2025) that Russia, India, and China recognize their shared interests across multiple sectors, and there is a clear trend toward strengthening mutual cooperation.
Mr. Lavrov made these remarks in reference to the recent camaraderie displayed by the leaders of the three nations at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held last week in Tianjin, China.
A widely noted triple handshake and close huddle involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping dominated global headlines.
The display even drew commentary from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on social media expressing concern over the perceived loss of India and Russia to what he called “deepest and darkest” China.
“It is a demonstration that three great powers, representing three great civilisations, are aware of their common interests in a number of areas,” Mr. Lavrov said during an interview with Russian State TV.
Addressing speculation, he clarified, “This does not mean that everything is 100% the same, but there is a tendency for China, Russia and India to develop their partnership, deriving mutual benefit from those areas where we have the same interests.”
Mr. Lavrov highlighted that the countries’ shared priorities include economic development, addressing social challenges, and enhancing the quality of life for their populations.
While the SCO summit primarily focused on deepening security and economic cooperation among member states, the public warmth displayed by Mr. Modi, Mr. Putin, and Mr. Xi attracted the most attention, signaling a broader alignment among the three major powers.
A video showing Mr. Modi and Mr. Putin walking hand-in-hand toward Mr. Xi, followed by the three leaders forming a close circle in a friendly embrace, went viral on social media.
Mr. Trump’s remarks came amid cooling relations between New Delhi and Washington, after the U.S. president imposed doubled tariffs on Indian goods, including an additional 25% levy on India’s imports of Russian oil, bringing the total to 50%.
Meanwhile, a leading Asian affairs expert in Russia has dismissed the notion of a tightly coordinated RIC (Russia-India-China) dialogue.
Speaking on Vesti FM’s regular segment ‘The Asian Casket,’ Dr. Aleksi Maslov, Director of Moscow University’s Africa-Asia Institute, noted that India, as a major democracy in Asia, operates differently from European nations with distinct decision-making processes.
Dr. Maslov expressed the view that cooperation among the three countries is more likely to develop significantly on a bilateral rather than trilateral basis.
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