In brief meeting with Xi Jinping, PM Modi raises concern over delay in resolving border issue

Sandeep Dikshit

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New Delhi, August 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the delay in resolution of border issues during a brief meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on Thursday.

“PM underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship. In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation,” said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra at a media briefing.

Videos had earlier shown PM Modi and Xi Jinping exchanging a handshake which was followed by a brief interaction after which they moved to their designated seats.

India had tried to resolve the disagreements in border areas in eastern Ladakh before the PM’s departure for Johannesburg by holding commanders-level talks followed by Major-General level meetings over three days to sort out their border differences.

The two leaders had exchanged pleasantries last year at the G20 Bali summit at which, it later transpired, PM Modi had also spoken on the need to stabilise bilateral relations.

India and China have been in a stand-off situation for the last three years and there has been an all-round deterioration in diplomatic ties as New Delhi has made it clear that the first requisite for normalisation would be addressing the tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The two sides have held 19 rounds of talks so far to address the boundary issues since 2020.

However, the PM had structured meetings with leaders of several countries including leaders of new entrants to BRICS such as Iran and Ethiopia besides Mozambique and Senegal. The PM had earlier met host and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Kwatra also said BRICS would seek to promote trade in national currencies but ruled out a common BRICS currency, at least in the near future due to the complexities involved.