Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his counterparts of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on Thursday.
He held bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of Kazakhstan, Iran, Tajikistan and China. During the chaired meeting, bilateral defence-related issues and other matters of mutual interest were discussed by the ministers.
This is the first visit to India by the Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu following the border transgression by China in the Indian Himalayan region of Galwan.
The two ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.
In a strong message to China, Indian Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the visiting Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu that “Violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.”
An Indian official with knowledge of the meeting anonymously told The Australia Today, “Minister Singh categorically conveyed that the development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.”
“He added that all issues at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.”
According to sources, India remained adamant about its position at LAC during the meeting. China pretends the situation is normal at LAC but it is not.
“All issues at LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments,”
Minister Singh said after meeting the Chinese Defence Minister.
India and China recently held the 18th round of the India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side. India, and China during the 18th round of Corps Commander Level Meeting, agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector of the LAC.
The meeting took place after a gap of five months. The last meeting between the two sides at the Corps Commander level was held in December last year.
The picture in this tweet explains most of the situation and the relationship between the two arguably most powerful nations.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.
