On August 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin simultaneously received French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at Sochi, a famed resort along the Black Sea. After a brief, symbolic appreciation of the beautiful scenery there, the host and his two guests started busy talks. Sources say, the talks covered a wide range of topics, from important international issues to cooperation between Russia and the EU in the fields of space, energy and high-tech. The three leaders had a most agreeable talk, but they neither signed agreements nor published joint statements; and they refused to disclose any inside story when jointly meeting the press. In relevance to the substance of their conversations, it is the form of tripartite meeting that aroused keener interest from the people.

Talks among Russian, French and German leaders began in 1998; dialogs within such a framework gain fresh vigor after five years' silence. Last year Putin, Chirac and Schroeder met in St Petersburg and New York, and on top of that many tripartite telephone conversations were conducted. Signs show that they are working hard to institutionalize "action-coordination" on important international issues. As a Kremlin high-ranking official recently said, the meeting among Russian, French and German leaders is helpful to the sound development of the world situation and it has become an "effective mechanism" in multilateral cooperation in the international arena.

Strengthened collaboration among Russia, France and Germany is primarily because the three countries have common or similar views on the current international situation and the future world pattern. The three leaders have repeatedly pointed out that the world today has come to a "crossroads", with every country facing the choice--preferring "multi-polarization" or accepting "power politics". They all agree that the days have gone when an individual country manipulated the destiny of other countries and the world security must be guaranteed by collective efforts within the limits of the United Nations. Besides, the Iraq war waged by the United States has injected an actual motivation force into a stronger cooperation among Russia, France and Germany. It is the anti-war alliance that has revived strategic consultations among the three countries. Even during the recent Sochi meeting, the situation in Iraq remained a focus of attention of the three leaders.

Both Russia and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council, while Germany is playing an increasingly important role in European and world affairs. Out of realistic considerations, the three countries have repeatedly declared that they have no intention to form an alliance and to take antagonistic actions, instead they are prepared, as "strategic partners", to solve the problem of perfecting the world security system and strengthening the status of the International Law together with other countries. However, what is undeniable is that the enhanced consultation and coordination among the three countries carry distinct strategic significance, and have exerted a certain degree of restraint on some unilateral actions in today's world.

International relations are a sophisticated system featuring the interaction of many countries. As the saying goes, "When one hair is pulled, the whole body is affected", so changes and regrouping triggered by a war may produce long-term influence. Perhaps, the "action-coordination" mechanism set up by Russia, France and Germany may impel certain countries which crave force and are keen on unilateral actions to restrain and examine themselves.

By People's Daily Online