BRICS Summit: Maintaining peace and stability on border should remain our priority, PM Modi tells Chinese President

Pic/X

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, and welcomed the agreement reached between the two neighbours earlier this week on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, news agency ANI reported.

Maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain priority of the neighbours and mutual trust should remain the basis of bilateral ties, stated PM Modi, adding that India-China relationship is important not only for people of the two countries but also for global peace, stability and progress.

"We are having a formal meeting after five years. We believe that the India-China relationship is very important not only for our people but also for global peace, stability and progress. We welcome the consensus reached on the issues that have arisen in the last four years on the border. Maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain our priority. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relations," PM Modi said.

The two leaders addressed the 16th BRICS Summit earlier in the day.

In a post on X, PM Modi said mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide the bilateral ties between the two countries.

"Met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Kazan BRICS Summit. India-China relations are important for the people of our countries, and for regional and global peace and stability. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations," PM Modi said.

First formal bilateral meeting between PM Modi, Xi Jinping since 2019

The meeting on Wednesday, October 23, was the first structured interaction between the two leaders in five years and comes two days after the neighbours reached an agreement on resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, ANI stated.

PM Modi's last formal bilateral meet with Jinping was in October 2019 in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, months before the June 2020 clashes in Galwan that led to a military standoff. The two leaders met briefly during the Group of 20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022 and then in Johannesburg, South Africa (2023).

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday that an agreement had been reached regarding patrolling arrangements along LAC in the India-China border areas.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told mediapersons that the agreement "is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, also confirmed the development in a regular press briefing, stating, "We have reached a resolution on the relevant matter, will work with the Indian side to implement the resolution. We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels."

The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh along the LAC four years ago was sparked by Chinese military actions, stated ANI. It led to prolonged tensions between the two nations, significantly straining their relations.

(With ANI inputs)