India-China tensions: Russia maintaining close touch with New Delhi, Beijing

Russia has been in close touch with Delhi and Beijing over the situation near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and welcomed efforts to cool down the situation. Moscow bilaterally has engaged with both "close partners" amidst the tensions over the violent face-off at LAC. 

A Russian government source told WION, "Russia is staying in close touch with India and China, appreciating efforts of both partners to deescalate and offering them the use of multilateral platforms to expand the potential for cooperation”

The source added, "We are maintaining regular dialogue with all of our partners and not playing any geopolitical games at the expense of third parties’ tensions."

Russia has clearly said it will not mediate between China and India. Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had rejected any sort of Russian mediation between India and China.

Just last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov had reiterated it again saying, "I think that any intervention, even the one with good intentions, in such a delicate matter as border disputes is not just inexpedient but can also seriously hurt the efforts Beijing and New Delhi are independently making to find a way out of this situation."

India has already briefed Russia about the ongoing situation at the LAC. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and India's Envoy to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma had discussed the matter in Moscow with India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla briefing the matter to the Russian Envoy in Delhi.

Last month saw the Russia-India-China RIC virtual meet of the Foreign Ministers and a later meet by the sherpas of BRICS nations.

Moscow is a close partner of New Delhi and the last few weeks have seen a number of high-level engagements between both the countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 2, becoming the first global leader to speak to the Russian President after the Constitutional referendum. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in Moscow for the victory day parade and a high number of engagements, including with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister.