Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in five years in Kazan, Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
During the bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi, PM Modi said, "I am sure that we will talk with an open mind and our discussion will be constructive."
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the people in the two countries and the international community are paying great attention to the bilateral meeting.
"It's my great pleasure to meet you in Kazan. It's the first time for us to have a formal meeting in five years time. Both the people in our two countries and the international community are paying great attention to our meeting. China and India are both ancient civilisations, major developing countries, and important members of the global south. We are both at a crucial phase in our respective modernization endeavours. It best serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and peoples," the Chinese President said.
In a tweet following the meeting, PM Modi said, "Met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Kazan BRICS Summit. India-China relations are important for the people of our countries and for regional and global peace and stability. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations."
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that PM Modi and Xi Jinping affirmed that the stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.
"It will also contribute to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. The leaders underlined the need to progress bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, enhance strategic communication and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges," the MEA statement said on the bilateral meeting between the two leaders.