Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia on Wednesday, marking their first face-to-face encounter in five years. The meeting follows a recent resolution of border issues between the two countries.
Welcoming the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas, Modi underscored the importance of “properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquility,” according to a statement released by the Indian government.
The two leaders agreed to a series of steps to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations. They also agreed that the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question will meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace and tranquility in border areas and to explore a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question,” the statement said.
The two leaders affirmed that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbors and the two largest nations on earth, will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.
“It will also contribute to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world,” the statement said. The leaders underlined the need to progress bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, enhance strategic communication and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges.
The meeting comes after years of tensions over the disputed border in the Himalayas, which saw a deadly clash in 2020.
