Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in their first formal discussions in five years on Wednesday, indicating a potential thaw in relations strained by a deadly military clash in 2020. The leaders met on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit, just two days after New Delhi announced an agreement with Beijing to address the ongoing military standoff along their disputed Himalayan border. In a Ministry of External Affairs press briefing, Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri announced the crucial highlights and the impact of this strategic meeting between the leaders. Here are the key takeaways from the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan: Disengagement and Agreements The meeting followed recent agreements on disengagement and patrolling along the India-China border. Both leaders welcomed these developments. Modi emphasized the need to prevent boundary differences from affecting peace and tranquility, instructing special representatives to meet soon, with Doval and Wang Yi expected to hold discussions. Bilateral Relations Review The leaders reviewed their bilateral relationship from a strategic perspective, acknowledging that as the two largest nations, their partnership significantly impacts regional peace and prosperity. They emphasized maturity, wisdom, and respect for each other's sensitivities to foster stable relations. Restoration of Peace Both leaders agreed that restoring peace and tranquility in border areas would benefit bilateral ties. Officials will enhance communication by leveraging existing bilateral frameworks at the level of Foreign Ministers. Collaboration on BRICS The leaders committed to maintaining communication within BRICS, discussing the roles of India and China. India expressed full support for China's presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) next year. Trust building between India-China Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said both the nations are working to ease tensions at the LAC through several confidence-building measures. He said the efforts over the past few years have culminated into significant agreements in the last two days, marking the beginning of a journey toward normalising the relations. This confidence-building process aims to strengthen trust between two nations.
