National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who said that China and India need to gradually deepen institutional dialogue as well as deepen bilateral relations on issues such as economy, trade and culture to bring bilateral relations back on the track of stable development. Exchanges and cooperation across sectors should be resumed.
Ajit Doval, leading the Indian delegation, arrived here on Tuesday to participate in the 23rd round of Special Representative talks being held after a gap of five years. The last meeting was held in Delhi in 2019.
During the meeting, Vice President Han said that China and India, as ancient oriental civilizations and emerging major powers, adhere to independence, solidarity and cooperation, which has global influence and strategic significance, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Han Zheng said that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India.
“The two sides should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, develop political mutual trust, gradually restore institutional dialogue and deepen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and We should increase exchanges and cooperation.” culture, so as to promote the return of bilateral relations to a stable development path,” Han Zheng said.
According to Xinhua, Ajit Doval said that the resumption of the meeting between the Special Representatives of the two countries on the border issue after five years is an important step towards implementing the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries and to further strengthen bilateral relations. This is very important to move forward. relations.
Ajit Doval was quoted as saying that India is keen to strengthen strategic communication with China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and bring new momentum to the development of bilateral relations.
The MEA said the two SRs will discuss the management of peace and tranquility in the border areas and seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the border question, as agreed during the meeting of the two leaders in Kazan. monday.
The military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020 and was followed by a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June the same year, resulting in severe tensions in relations between the two neighbours.
Relations between the two countries almost came to a standstill, except for trade.
The confrontation effectively ended after the withdrawal of troops from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under the agreement finalized on October 21.
The SR meeting is considered significant as it is the first structured engagement between the two countries to restore relations.
Formed in 2003 to comprehensively address the complex dispute along the India-China border spanning 3,488 km, the SR mechanism has met 22 times over the years.
Although not successful in resolving the border dispute, officials on both sides consider it a very promising, useful and useful tool to defuse the recurring tensions between the two countries.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
