OREANDA-NEWS. Russia, India and China are united by their rejection of trade protectionism and unilateral politically motivated sanctions, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the RIC association (Russia, India, China).

The Russian minister noted that exchanging views with colleagues from China and India is important in light of the growing turbulence at the global and regional levels.

"In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the system of international relations is faced with large-scale challenges in the economy and social development. The virus has also spurred the crisis of global governance, the growth of protectionist and isolationist sentiments," Lavrov said during the meeting via videoconference.

He also stressed that Russia, India and China are united by their rejection of trade protectionism, the unauthorized imposition of politically motivated unilateral sanctions and the use of force in international affairs.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed bilateral relations, Moscow announced its readiness to continue the dialogue on a peace treaty. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the conversation took place on November 25 at the initiative of the Japanese side.