Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus at Vientiane, Lao PDR.
This was the first meeting between the two defence ministers after the disengagement of troops in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh.
Singh highlighted the fact that amicable relations between India and China—the two largest nations in the world—would have positive implications for global peace and prosperity.
“We need to focus on cooperation rather than conflict,” he said noting that the two countries are and will continue to remain neighbours.
“Shri Rajnath Singh called for reflecting on the lessons learnt from the unfortunate border clashes of 2020, take measures to prevent recurrence of such events and safeguard peace and tranquility along the India-China border,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
It said the minister emphasised and looked forward to greater trust and confidence building between the two sides through de-escalation.
During the meeting, both Singh and Jun agreed to work together towards a roadmap for rebuilding mutual trust and understanding.
The defence minister arrived at Vientiane on a three-day visit to attend the 11th ADMM-Plus on November 21 and address the forum on regional and international security issues.
Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese foreign minister H.E. Wang Yi held talks in Rio de Janeiro on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. The two leaders also reviewed progress in the disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh.
According to an MEA statement, the two foreign ministers discussed resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage and direct flights between India and China.
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