PREVIEW - Afghanistan in focus at trilateral meet in India

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China will meet on Tuesday with the threat of rising Taliban violence in Afghanistan and ways to rebuild the war-torn country expected to be major topics.

The three ministers could also discuss the role of Pakistan in stabilising the region, Indian official and analysts said.

"All three have shared concerns about the violence emanating from Afghanistan, but there is divergence between India and China on the Pakistan military's role," said Uday Bhaskar, a New Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst.

"India would like to see what stand China takes on Pakistan."

India is locked with Pakistan in a struggle for strategic influence over Afghanistan. New Delhi sees Beijing as backing Islamabad with deep ties to the Pakistani military.

New Delhi is seeding Afghanistan with development projects worth $1.2 billion but its citizens and embassy in Kabul have come under repeated attacks from Islamist militants uneasy with Hindu-majority India's growing clout.

Many in India see the hand of Pakistan's military in these attacks. Islamabad considers Afghanistan a fall-back position in the event of war with India.

"China will seek to balance its pro-Pakistan tilt with its concerns about Islamist radicalism spilling on to Xinjiang province among the Uighurs," said an India government official.