TASS MOSCOW - Containing major regional powers is the goal of the US-promoted Indo-Pacific concept, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said at the 3rd Russian-Indian forum of research centers’ heads on Thursday.

"Frankly speaking, we do not like the fact that the US and its allies, using our friend India, are trying to add their Indo-Pacific concepts aimed primarily at addressing their own challenges in Asia to the agenda," he said. "According to our estimates, the ideas promoted by Washington together with Tokyo and Canberra are aimed at containing major regional powers and drawing dividing lines by creating closed groups and interests rather than at positive development and open cooperation in the Indian and Pacific oceans."

Morgulov stressed that the region’s further development depended directly on whether all regional players would be able to build an equal, reliable and sustainable security and cooperation architecture together. "Of course, we would like India to be an integral and, I would even say, the key part of that process," he stressed.