India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Russia. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS High-Ranking Officials Meeting on Security Matters, according to a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the talks, Doval said that peace and tranquility in border areas, along with respect for the Line of Actual Control (LAC), are paramount for restoring normalcy in India-China relations. This statement comes amidst ongoing efforts to resolve lingering border disputes between the two nations.
The meeting allowed India and China to review the recent efforts toward finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which will create conditions to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to work with urgency and redouble their efforts to realise complete disengagement in the remaining areas.
Doval underscored the importance of adhering to existing bilateral agreements and protocols, urging both sides to fully comply with previously established understandings between the two governments.
Recognizing the broader implications of their relationship, both parties acknowledged that India-China ties are significant not only bilaterally but also for regional and global stability.
The talks also included discussions on the current global and regional situation.
Earlier in the day, Doval was seen exchanging a handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian Embassy in India shared pictures on X and said, “On September 12, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg.”
This meeting takes place as Russia assumes the BRICS chairmanship for 2024. The BRICS group, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded to include Egypt, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.
(With ANI inputs)
