Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday in Kazakhstan. The two agreed to enhance talks to resolve border issues, according to a statement from New Delhi. Relations between the nations have been tense since a military standoff in July 2020, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops.
Jaishankar met Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana. They agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. Both ministers decided to enhance meetings between their diplomatic and military officials to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest, according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry.
China and India should properly handle their differences and ensure relations advance on a stable track, said a Chinese foreign ministry statement quoting Wang Yi during talks. Wang emphasised the need to maintain a positive mindset and control the situation in border areas while resuming normal exchanges.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began his third term last month, stated in April that both countries should urgently address the prolonged situation on their border.
Both countries have fortified positions and deployed extra troops and equipment along the border since 2020. The nuclear-armed nations have been uneasy neighbours for decades after a bloody border war in 1962.
Jaishankar reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two governments in the past, according to New Delhi's statement. The two countries have previously agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels.
(With Reuters inputs)