The Russian, Chinese and Indian foreign ministers agreed Thursday to intensify joint work against terrorism and other threats and underlined their common approach to international affairs. The trio met in Russia's Pacific port of Vladivostok, near the Chinese border, a venue underlining Russia's place in Asia. "We are cultivating practical cooperation between the three states in the struggle against new threats and challenges, first of all, international terrorism, drug-trafficking and other forms of organized crime," Lavrov told a news conference following his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh. The ministers also discussed ways to strengthen political and economic cooperation. Lavrov said priority areas include transport, energy, agriculture and high technology, and that the three ministers had discussed intensified cooperation on preventing and responding to natural disasters. Singh said business executives from the three countries would meet in New Delhi next year. "We have also discussed problems of United Nations reform, including reform of the Security Council," he was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency _ a reference to the quest by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan to expand the Security Council and hopefully win permanent seats. Singh thanked Russia for supporting its bid for a permanent seat, ITAR-Tass said. Lavrov and Li used the occasion of the meeting to exchange documents on the recently ratified Chinese-Russian border agreement. "Our countries are establishing strategic cooperation but it is not aimed against any other country," Li said through a translator. "We are striving toward mutually beneficial cooperation to the advantage of both of us."
