Last week, representatives from India, China and Russia met in New Delhi, India, for a summit to promote international peace and discuss energy and economic cooperation between their nations, which encompass approximately 40% of the world’s 6.5 billion people. The meeting was a continuation of the collaboration between the countries that formally started at a summit held in June 2005 in Vladivostok, Russia.

Present at last week’s summit were Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister Li Xhaoxing from China.

Minister Mukherjee said, “India, Russia, and China, as countries with growing international influence, can make substantive contributions to global peace, security, and stability.”

Mr. Lavrov stated that cooperation “rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs.”

Chinese minister Li Xhaoxing stated, “We did talk about cooperation in the energy sector. All three economies are growing very fast and the potential for tripartite cooperation in trade and energy is vast.” He also confirmed that Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs, rebuilding Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq were topics of conversation.

The three representatives issued the following in a joint statement at the conclusion of the summit: “Trilateral cooperation was not directed against the interests of any single country and was, on the contrary, intended to promote international harmony and understanding.”

The three countries fervently insisted that this meeting was not the genesis of a new coalition seeking to remedy an imbalance of power due to U.S. international policy.

However, they stressed a “strong commitment” to utilizing “multilateral diplomacy.” Analysts seem to agree that this is a thinly veiled threat in response to real or perceived unilateral actions of the United States in recent years.

As India, China and Russia enjoy economic growth and development never seen before in their nations, they appear to be growing a louder voice on the world scene—especially when it comes to America’s international policies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been highly critical of America’s policy on international affairs. Will this group of nations unite to pressure the United States economically? Will other nations do the same, attempting to balance the scales of global influence with the formation of another superpower?

Time will tell.