New Delhi [India], October 23 : On the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit, Robinder Nath Sachdev, foreign affairs expert said that the meeting indicates that both nations have realised the need to work together and initiate dialogue.
He further emphasised that China is expressing its willingness to engage with India to ensure a smooth BRICS meeting, where India won't object to Chinese proposals.
Notably, the meeting in the capital of Tatarstan marks the first formal interaction between the two leaders in five years and follows the two countries reaching an agreement on resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Speaking to ANI, Sachdev said, "The importance of this meeting lies in the fact that both India and China have realised the need to work with each other, to begin a dialogue... It means that China wants to talk to India and it also means that China wants to ensure that the BRICS meeting goes smoothly and India does not object to any Chinese proposals. That could be one reason to go soft on LAC."
Elaborating more on the importance of the bilateral meeting, Sachdev asserted that the meeting can give a message to the West that India and China will not remain enemies forever and that "India and China can have a working relationship."
"This meeting is very important as it conveys that the non-Western countries are looking to adjust also. It is not that India and China will be permanent enemies. We can co-exist and I think this is the big message going out from this development which will be noted by America and Europe because, in their presumption, India and China should be polar opposites, whereas this development (bilateral meeting) ensures that India and China can have a working relationship," he said.
The foreign affairs expert further said that the more important thing would be now to see other concrete outcomes from bilateral meeting between Indian and Chinese leaders. "I think it is a great development for PM Modi and Xi Jinping and the conditions have now been created by improvement in the situation in the LAC. The more important thing would be now to see other concrete outcomes from this Modi-Xi Jinping meeting," Sachdev said.
He further said that the two possible outcomes after the bilateral meeting would be trade and LAC. "The bilateral is happening and it has to have some meaningful outcomes. I think one of the outcomes that PM Modi will push for is balancing of the bilateral trade between India and China. Our bilateral trade is USD 120 billion, out of which we export only USD 20 billion and we import USD 100 billion. So, I think China has to lower some of its tariffs or non-tariff barriers to Indian trade so that the trade increases but, at the same time, the deficit decreases. On the LAC, a longer-term view of how to keep and preserve peace on LAC, these would be two big outcomes I would look forward to," Sachdev said.
Sachdev also spoke about PM Modi's statement in Kazan regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and said, "To me, the statement by PM Modi in Kazan shows that round two of Modi's single-point plan has begun. Round one was completed and now, round two has started. Round one was when he met Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) in July in Moscow, then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then US President Joe Biden in Delaware, then Zelenskyy again in New York and now closing the loop with Putin. That was one round of consultations. Now begins the second round of Modi's single-point plan to bring peace in Ukraine and the region."
Notably, PM Modi on Tuesday met President Putin for a bilateral meeting in Kazan and said that India believes that Ukraine conflict should be resolved in a peaceful manner and is ready to provide all possible cooperation. He said India's efforts give priority to humanity.
"I have been in constant touch with you on the subject of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As I have said earlier, we believe that the problems should be resolved in a peaceful manner. We fully support the early establishment of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity. India is ready to provide all possible cooperation in the times to come," PM Modi said.
Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in conflict since February 2022.
In a joint statement following the annual summit in July this year in Moscow, India and Russia highlighted the imperative of a peaceful resolution of the conflict around Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy, including engagement between both parties.
They noted with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with international law and on the basis of the UN Charter in its entirety and totality.