Need permanent solution to border issue, Rajnath Singh tells China on sidelines of SCO meet
The Defence Ministry in a statement said the two ministers held in-depth discussions on the need to maintain peace and tranquility along the Indo-China border.
The two met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, China, Thursday.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh batted for a permanent solution to border demarcation issue between India and China during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun.
Singh acknowledged the work being undertaken by both sides to bring back a semblance of normalcy in the bilateral relations.
He highlighted the necessity of solving the complex issues through a structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation, the statement said.
'Rajnath Singh also stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue,' the statement added.
He emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve best mutual benefits as well as to cooperate for stability in Asia and the world.
He also called for bridging the trust deficit created after 2020 Border stand-off, by taking action on ground, the Ministry said.
The two ministers agreed to continue consultations at various levels to achieve progress on issues related to disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation through existing mechanisms.
Singh also briefed his counterpart on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor which he said was aimed at dismantling the terrorist networks in Pakistan.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: India refuses to sign SCO joint statement over terror issue, Pahalgam & Jaffar Express attacks
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
When fighting terrorism SCO goal, skipping it makes outcome meaningless: EAM Jaishankar
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday defended India's refusal to back the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' joint statement, saying it was unacceptable that a bloc founded with the main purpose to combat terrorism omitted a reference to it. India had sought explicit mention of terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, in the outcome document, including a reference to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. However, one member country - Pakistan - opposed the inclusion, prompting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to decline signing the communiqué. 'When the main purpose of the organisation is to fight terrorism, and you are not allowing a reference to that, the outcome loses meaning,' Jaishankar said. Further explaining as to why Singh refused to put India's name on the document, Jaishankar said: 'SCO runs with unanimity. So Rajnath ji clearly said that if there is no mention of terrorism in the statement, we will not sign it.' At the SCO defence ministers' meeting held in China, Singh pushed for a clear reference to the terrorism and especially cross-border terrorism, reflecting India's long-standing concerns over cross-border terrorism backed by Pakistan. In response, the Pakistani delegation pushed to insert a paragraph about Balochistan, widely viewed in New Delhi as a diversionary tactic by Islamabad.
Mint
33 minutes ago
- Mint
US-China trade deal finalised, focus remains on rare earth exports, Washington to ‘take down countermeasures'
The US and China finalised a trade agreement that was initially reached last month in Geneva, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He also noted that the White House has upcoming plans to negotiate agreements with ten key trading partners. The deal was signed two days ago, formalising the terms agreed upon during the trade talks, including China's commitment to supply rare earth exports. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Lutnick said,'They're going to deliver rare earths to us,' and once they do that, 'we'll take down our countermeasures." The China agreement outlines the terms discussed during trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington this year, which was an important milestone after accusations of breaching previous agreements. However, its success still depends on future actions by both countries, especially China's export of rare earth elements. Lutnick also informed that the US President Donald Trump has planned to finalise a set of trade deals in the coming two weeks ahead of the reciprocal tariff deadline on July 9. 'We're going to do top 10 deals, put them in the right category, and then these other countries will fit behind,' he said. However, Lutnick did not give any information on the countries associated with the latest trade deals, though Trump previously hinted at an agreement with India. Rajesh Agarwal-led team of Indian officials are scheduled to meet the Washington officials in the next two days this week to reach a consensus, the report said. Trump has decided to send 'letters' to the trading partners highlighting the terms if an agreement is not reached before the deadline. Lutnick mentioned that countries will be categorised into 'proper buckets' on July 9. Trump might also extend deadlines to facilitate talks. 'Those who have deals will have deals, and everybody else that is negotiating with us, they'll get a response from us and then they'll go into that package,' Lutnick said. 'If people want to come back and negotiate further, they're entitled to, but that tariff rate will be set and off we'll go," he added. On April 2, Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on trading countries but paused it later for 90 days to permit negotiations. The China accord Lutnick described is far from a comprehensive trade deal that addresses thorny questions about fentanyl trafficking and American exporters' access to Chinese markets. Following an initial negotiation round in Geneva that led to tariff reductions by both nations, the US and China accused each other of breaching their agreement. After further discussions in London this month, negotiators from both countries stated they had reached a mutual understanding, while approval from Trump and President Xi Jinping is still pending.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
39 minutes ago
- Business Standard
'One country didn't want terror reference': Jaishankar on SCO communique
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that India chose not to sign the outcome document of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting because one country objected to including a reference to terrorism. During a press conference, Jaishankar said that the main purpose of the SCO is to fight against terrorism, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was right to accept or not accept it without reference to it. "The SCO was formed with the objective of fighting terrorism. When Rajnath Singh went to the meeting and there was a discussion on the outcome document, one country said they do not want a reference to that. Rajnath Singh's view rightly was, without that reference, that the main purpose of the organisation is to fight terrorism, and you are not allowing a reference to that. He expressed his unwillingness to accept... So Rajnath ji clearly said that if there is no mention of terrorism in the statement, we will not sign it," Jaishankar said. SCO is a 10-member organisation which works on unanimity. The organisation includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. Rajnath Singh refuses to sign SCO joint communique This comes a day after Rajanth Singh refused to sign a joint communique at the SCO meeting in Qingdao, China, because of its omission of the Pahalgam terror attack and the failure to directly address India's concerns about Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism. At the SCO defence ministers' meeting, Rajnath Singh strongly criticised nations using cross-border terrorism as state policy — without naming Pakistan. He called on SCO members to reject double standards and stand united against terrorism and WMDs in the hands of non-state actors. 'Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards,' he said, referencing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.
