Johannesburg - Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have jointly decided to instruct relevant officials to escalate their efforts in promptly achieving disengagement and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), according to official sources released on Thursday.
Providing insights into the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, in response to queries about the interaction between Modi and Xi, conveyed that the two leaders concurred on the need to direct pertinent officials towards intensifying endeavors for swift disengagement and de-escalation.
Kwatra stated that Prime Minister Modi underscored the significance of upholding peace, serenity in border regions, and respecting the LAC as vital components for the normalization of India-China relations.
During the conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s concerns about unresolved matters along the LAC, the Foreign Secretary noted.
Furthermore, Kwatra clarified, "The discussion transpired on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, and Prime Minister Modi addressed the LAC tensions. It wasn't a formal bilateral meeting," he informed reporters.
Simultaneously, he revealed that a noteworthy outcome of the BRICS summit was the unanimous decision by BRICS leaders to broaden the group's membership, incorporating six new nations.
These additional members comprise Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Alongside the BRICS summit, Modi also engaged with other BRICS leaders, Kwatra affirmed.
"The Prime Minister emphasized that the BRICS Business Forum stands as a crucial pillar of intra-BRICS collaboration. He emphasized the necessity of cultivating robust and inclusive supply chains and highlighted the significance of mutual trust and transparency among BRICS nations," Kwatra shared with reporters.
He continued, "Modi corresponded with G20 leaders, advocating for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. We have ardently proposed its status as a permanent G20 member. Consequently, if successful, it could potentially transform into the G21," the Foreign Secretary elaborated.
"The Prime Minister also addressed a matter deeply resonant in South Africa and many African countries, the conservation of the 'big cats'—the five prominent species in South Africa—through the International Big Cat Alliance. Additionally, he introduced a significant initiative for all BRICS nations: the establishment of a repository of traditional medicines among BRICS countries," Kwatra further disclosed.