New Delhi: In a significant development in bilateral relations, India and China have agreed to pursue an early resolution of the long-standing boundary question. The two sides have decided to establish an expert group tasked with exploring options for boundary delimitation.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the decision on Tuesday, following a series of high-level meetings between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
In addition to boundary discussions, both countries agreed to resume direct flight services at the earliest and to expand opportunities for Indian pilgrims traveling to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
After his meeting with Wang Yi, Prime Minister Modi posted on X that since his talks with President Xi Jinping in Kazan last year, India-China relations have shown “steady progress guided by respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities.” He added that he looks forward to meeting Xi again in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit later this month.
“Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity,” the Prime Minister said.
According to the MEA, Wang Yi’s visit was at the invitation of NSA Doval to participate in the 24th round of Special Representatives’ Talks on the boundary issue. During his two-day trip, he also held bilateral discussions with Jaishankar.
The meetings come just ahead of Modi’s scheduled visit to China for the SCO leaders’ summit, where both sides are expected to further engage on regional and global issues of mutual concern. (Source: NDTV)
