Highlight
- S Jaishankar met Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday.
- They reaffirmed the importance of “full compliance” by bilateral agreements.
- Jaishankar and Wang look forward to the next round of military talks between the two sides.
India China relations: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi the need for early resolution of all pending issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and said bilateral ties should be based on “three mutual respects”. sensitivity and interest. In an hour-long meeting in Bali on the sidelines of a summit of foreign ministers of the G20 countries, Jaishankar and Wang looked forward to the next round of military talks between the two sides to resolve the border issue at the earliest.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Jaishankar reaffirmed the importance of “fully adhering” to bilateral agreements and protocols, and the understanding reached between him and Wang in their previous talks.
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“The External Affairs Minister (EAM) called for early resolution of all outstanding issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Recalling the disengagement achieved in some frictional areas, Jaishankar reiterated the need to maintain the pace of complete disengagement from all remaining areas to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas.
“They reaffirmed the full adherence to bilateral agreements and protocols and the understanding reached between the two ministers during their previous talks,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“In this regard, the two ministers reaffirmed that military and diplomatic officials from both sides should maintain regular contact and look forward to the next round of senior commanders’ meeting at the earliest.”
Jaishankar also reiterated that India-China relations are best handled with mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar also recalled his meeting with Wang Yi in Delhi in March and reviewed the progress on some of the key issues discussed at that time, including the return of students.
“The External Affairs Minister emphasized the need to expedite the process and facilitate the early return of the students,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. India has been pressing for an early withdrawal of troops from all remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh to de-escalate the situation, saying that peace and tranquility along the border is a pre-requisite for the progress of overall relations.
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Jaishankar tweeted, “Started my day in Bali with FM Wang Yi of China. Discussions lasted for an hour. Focused on specific outstanding issues in our bilateral relations relating to the border situation. Students and other matters including flights. talked about too.”