Opening remarks by EAM during his meeting with Member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Wang Yi on the sidelines of[...]

Thank you Excellency.

I'm also glad that we could meet today on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting. And as you would recall we had met at the beginning of the month in Astana during the SCO Summit. I believe today that our conversation provides another opportunity to take forward our ongoing discussions about our bilateral relationship.

Excellency, as the two most populous nations and among the two key economies of the world today, our ties actually have today an exceptional significance. Our ability to ensure that they are stable and forward looking is essential both for the prospects of Asia and that of the multipolar world. There are also issues on which our interests converge. In our previous meeting we had both agreed in this regard. The challenge has been to proceed in that direction.

Excellency, you are also aware that the disturbance to peace and tranquility in our border areas has cast a shadow on our ties for the last four years. We have both made considerable efforts to resolve the related issues. Our endeavor is to complete that process and ensure that there is full respect for the Line of Actual Control and the agreements that we have signed in the past. I hope that today's meeting will allow us to give stronger guidance to our officials in that regard.

Insofar as our bilateral ties are concerned, we also agreed that they are best handled through the approach of three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. You will also appreciate that the state of the border will necessarily be reflected on the state of our ties.

This is Excellency a volatile and uncertain era for all of us. The consequences of the Covid pandemic are still in play, we are seeing conflicts, tensions and polarizations. There have been disruptions to the global economy, both natural and man made. At this time it is in our mutual interest to stabilize our ties and focus on growth and development that requires us to approach our immediate issues with a sense of purpose and urgency. I look forward to our talks today.