India on Monday secured greater support from China and Russia for its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and anti-terrorism plans.

A joint communiqué issued on Monday by the foreign ministers of Russia, India and China, which followed the 13th RIC meeting, went further than the 12th communiqué on both contentious issues.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was pleased with the support she received for her proposal to revive negotiations at the United Nations (UN) on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which found specific mention.

Forging ties: PM Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) during a meeting in New Delhi on September 18

“In 1996, India had tabled a draft resolution in the UN on the Comprehensive Convention on Terrorism (which has been) lying for 19 years,” Swaraj said.

“I thank both (Chinese FM Wang Yi and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov) for accepting this proposal… at the first RIC meeting I attended, I came with this big proposal and that it was accepted is a big achievement”.

The communiqué also stressed, as previously, the need “to bring to justice perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors” of terror — an inclusion India has ensured in the communiqué in part to bring global pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terror financing.

India also made some headway in seeking greater Chinese support for its bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC.

While China is far from ready to fully endorse India’s attempt — and is the only one of five permanent members to not do so — the joint communiqué for the first time “supported (India’s) aspiration to play a greater role” in the UN.

This is in concurrence with China’s official position, but a stronger reiteration than in the past.

Russia and China said they welcomed India’s full membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) security grouping — where India is currently an observer — and went further in their support for a greater role for India in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.

Both the countries also welcomed India’s “participation” if not membership. The US announced its support for India’s full membership during President Barack Obama’s recent visit.