What PM Modi told China's Xi Jinping on border issues during Kazan bilateral talks | India News – Times of India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed the recent agreement between China and India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and told Xi Jinping that maintaining peace and stability on the border should be a priority for both the countries.
PM Modi, who held bilateral talks with China’s Xi on the sidelines of Brics Summit, said, “We are holding a formal meeting after five years.We believe that the India-China relationship is very important not only for our people but also for global peace, stability and progress. We welcome the consensus reached on the issues that have arisen in the last four years on the border. Maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain our priority.”
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“Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relations,” PM Modi said.
The ministry of external affairs on Monday announced that India and China have reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements along the LAC border area.
“I am sure that we will talk with an open mind and our discussion will be constructive,” PM Modi told Xi during the bilateral talks.
China’s Xi Jinping also asserted that India and China should handle the differences through communication and cooperation. “It’s important for both sides to have more communication and cooperation, properly handle our differences and disagreements, and to facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations. It’s also important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibility, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of developing countries and to contribute to promoting multi-polarization and democracy in international relations,” Xi said.
PM Modi also tweeted images from the meeting on X and wrote: “Met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Kazan Brics Summit. India-China relations are important for the people of our countries, and for regional and global peace and stability. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations.”
The meeting between the two leaders in Tatarstan’s capital was the first formal interaction between the two leaders in five years, following an agreement between India and China to resume regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The last time Modi and Xi met was in October 2019 in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, before the Galwan clashes in June 2020 that led to a military standoff.
The two leaders have since met during the Group of 20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia in 2022 and then in Johannesburg, South Africa (2023). On October 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that an agreement had been reached regarding patrolling arrangements along the LAC in the India-China border area.
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The ministry said the agreement was “the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels.” Foreign secretary also mentioned that military commanders have been involved in negotiations to address the tensions that have persisted since 2020.
China also confirmed on Tuesday that it has reached a resolution with India on resolving their border conflict and will work to implement solutions. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, stated during a regular press briefing, “We have reached a resolution on the relevant matter, will work with the Indian side to implement the solution. We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels.”
