NEW YORK, Sep 25 (CGTN) - Mutual respect between major powers is important, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday told a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

He made the remarks when commenting on the recent submarine deal dispute involving the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and China-U.S. relations. The alliance of three countries – Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom – is also to help contain the "China threat," he added.

A deal by the U.S., the UK and Australia not involving France could open Europe to more engagement with Russia, Lavrov said.

On China-U.S. ties, he said he knows which side started the dispute, saying that any confrontational plan will not help "the people of our common planet lead normal lives."