“I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” foreign secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing.
The meeting holds significance as New Delhi and Beijing on Monday announced that they have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, in a major breakthrough in ending the over four-year-long military standoff.
“In the pending areas under discussion, patrolling and indeed grazing activities, wherever applicable, will revert to the situation as it obtained in 2020…As far as the disengagement agreements reached previously are concerned, those agreements were not reopened in these discussions. The agreement that was reached yesterday was focused on issues that had remained outstanding in the last couple of years,” Misri said, referring to Monday’s agreement.
China on Tuesday also confirmed that it has reached an agreement with India to end the standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh.
“Over a recent period of time, China and India have kept close communication through diplomatic and military channels on issues related to the China-India border,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing here.
Earlier on Monday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India has maintained peace and tranquillity along the India-China border as a requirement for positive bilateral ties.
“That was our major concern because we always said that if you disturb the peace and tranquillity, how do you expect the rest of the relationship to go forward,” he said at a conference hosted by broadcaster NDTV.
The two leaders, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in key areas, including Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
“Had a very good meeting with the President of Iran, Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian. We reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. We also discussed ways to deepen ties in futuristic sectors,” Modi wrote on X in both English and Persian.
This was their first meeting after Pezeshkian became president in July following his victory in snap elections. Pezeshkian succeeded President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
The two leaders had a “fruitful discussion,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing here.
“Both the leaders also discussed the situation in West Asia. Prime Minister Modi expressed his deep concern over the escalating conflict and reiterated India’s call for the protection of civilians and the prevention of harm to civilians. He emphasised the need for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate the tensions,” Misri said.
President Pezeshkian emphasised the need for peace and harmony in the region and the role that India could play in de-escalating the conflict given its good relations with all the parties involved, the foreign secretary said.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Pezeshkian on his recent victory and reaffirmed India’s commitment to deepening the age-old bilateral ties with Iran.
Both leaders emphasized the shared historical and civilizational ties between the two countries and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in various fields.
“The discussion focused on key areas of cooperation, particularly the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) which are crucial for enhancing regional connectivity and economic partnership,” Misri said.
Misri said Afghanistan also figured in the discussion between the two leaders. “Both of them underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region along with continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan,” he said.
President Pezeshkian acknowledged India’s role in Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS. “They agreed to continue their cooperation in various international forums,” Misri said.
The meeting between the two leaders came amid the Israel-Hamas war and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict that have shown signs of escalation. Israel has also said it was preparing for retaliation against Iran’s missile attack earlier this month.
