Banglaore, Oct 27 (IANS) India, China and Russia Tuesday agreed to jointly expand their trilateral cooperation in combating international terrorism and called for greater democratisation of international bodies.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna held talks with his counterparts, Yang Jiechi of China and Sergei Lavrov of Russia, on a wide range of regional and international issues in this Indian IT hub.

A joint declaration said the three ministers discussed ways to expand their trilateral cooperation on issues like international terrorism, the global financial crisis, climate change, energy security and the reform of international bodies.

The resurgence of Taliban-led violence in Afghanistan figured prominently in the discussions.

This was the ninth trilateral meeting between foreign ministers of the three emerging economies that hold the key to an emerging international order.

“We discussed trilateral action against terrorism and transnational crime,” Krishna said at a joint press interaction with his counterparts from Russia and China.

Krishna said the three foreign ministers identified “common approaches” in addressing a host of regional and international issues.

Yang described the meeting as a “very productive one” and underlined that it marked a “new progress” in trilateral cooperation. He emphasised that the three countries shared “similar approaches” on regional and international issues.

Yang also called for greater democracy in international relations and underlined the need for creating “a more just and equitable international order”.

Lavrov emphasised the need for enhanced cooperation in combating rising terrorism in Afghanistan and the common stake of the three countries in the restoration of peace and stability in the violence-torn country.