External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings. The meeting provided an opportunity for the two ministers to review the situation since their last meeting on July 4, 2024, in Astana.
The primary focus of the talks was finding an early resolution to the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations. Both ministers agreed on the need to work with purpose and urgency to achieve complete disengagement at the earliest.
Peace and tranquillity on the borders and respect for LAC are essential for normalcy in bilateral relations. Both sides must fully abide by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. EAM stressed the importance of the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity – to the bilateral ties.
An early meeting of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) will be held to take the discussions forward. The two ministers also exchanged views on the global and regional situation.
The meeting marked a significant step towards resolving the outstanding issues along the LAC and rebuilding bilateral relations between India and China.