India and China makes significant breakthrough in LAC patrolling agreement

With India and China reaching a significant breakthrough in their patrolling agreement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), top officials from both nations faced a barrage of media inquiries regarding the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, set to commence on Tuesday.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mentioned that while there were several requests for bilateral meetings from different countries, no decisions had been made yet. "We will update you on the bilateral as they evolve," Misri said.

This development follows India’s announcement that the two countries "have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in border areas." China has not commented on this agreement yet.

"China stands ready to work with other parties to strive for the steady and sustained development of greater BRICS cooperation, open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity, and jointly promote world peace and development," said Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning.

The last formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders took place during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023. They had also briefly interacted on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022. Since then, no formal meetings have occurred due to ongoing tensions along the LAC following the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020.

Both PM Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping are set to attend the BRICS summit, which is scheduled to start on Tuesday in Kazan.