Vientiane, July 26 (UITV)- Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the meeting of Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. During this, once again Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar laid special emphasis on the importance of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest in relations between India and China.
After the meeting with Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Jaishankar wrote in a post on the social media platform X that we continued our discussions about the ongoing bilateral relations between the two countries. The situation on the border will inevitably affect the state of our relations. There was a consensus between the two countries on the need for strong guidance, so that the process of preventing confrontation between the armies can be completed.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on LAC (Line of Actual Control) and previous agreements. Jaishankar said that it is in our mutual interest to improve and stabilize our relations while ensuring full respect. At present, we should look at all important matters with a sense of purpose and urgency.
Later in a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the two ministers reviewed the progress of the situation of the meeting between the two ministers during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit earlier this month in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Their talks focused on finding an early solution to the remaining issues on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is necessary to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that peace and stability on the borders and respect for the LAC are essential for normalcy in bilateral relations. Whatever relevant bilateral agreements have been made between the two governments in the past, both sides should follow them. Also, the protocols and understandings should also be fully followed by both the countries.
To take the discussion forward, the two sides will hold an initial meeting of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).
India says that its relations with China cannot be normalized until peace is established in the border areas. There has been a standoff between Indian and Chinese armies since May 2020. The border dispute has not been fully resolved yet, although both sides have retreated from many points of conflict. There was a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, after which relations between the two countries had deteriorated significantly.
