Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday during the 16th BRICS Summit. This significant encounter comes just two days after India and China reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements in the sensitive region of eastern Ladakh.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the meeting during a media briefing, saying, “I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.” His comments followed a special briefing in New Delhi, where he highlighted the recent progress made in discussions regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Misri elaborated that discussions with Chinese counterparts have culminated in an agreement aimed at enhancing patrolling arrangements along the LAC. This development signals a potential pathway to disengagement and a resolution of the tensions that have persisted since the Chinese military’s aggressive maneuvers in the region in 2020.
“These discussions have led to resolutions of previous standoffs at various locations,” Misri said, acknowledging that while some areas remain contentious, the agreement marks a hopeful step toward normalizing relations. He emphasized the importance of ongoing communication through the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) and military-level talks, which have contributed to easing the situation.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar echoed these sentiments, indicating that the recent agreement on patrolling arrangements would facilitate a return to the status quo that existed before May 2020, thus stabilizing the border dynamics.
Prior to the BRICS Summit, PM Modi arrived in Russia on Tuesday, engaging in bilateral discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
(Inputs from ANI)