External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting, in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday.
In their meeting, the two ministers discussed an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh and to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations.
“Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end.,” Jaishankar took to X to post after the meeting with the Communist Party of China Politburo member.
The External Affairs Minister said, “Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential.”
“The three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest – will guide our bilateral ties,” Jaishankar said after the meeting.
In an official statement on the bilateral, the Ministry of External Affairs said “the two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.”
“EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards the return of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA release read.
He also reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. “The Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always enforced,” the MEA added.
Both Jaishankar and Wang Yi, agreed to continue and step up meetings of the diplomatic and military officials of the two sides to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest.
“To that end, they agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting. EAM reiterated that the India-China relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests,” the release added.
The two ministers also exchanged views on the global situation, and Jaishankar also extended India’s support to Foreign Minister Wang Yi for China’s Presidency of SCO next year.
