Johannesburg

In a stern message to China on the sidelines of the 13th BRICS National Security Advisor's (NSA) meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday, NSA Ajit Doval said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has eroded the strategic trust between the two nations.

In a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, Doval stressed the significance of continuing efforts to thoroughly address the issue and re-establish peace in the border regions.

"During the meeting, NSA conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had eroded strategic trust and the public and political basis of the relationship," the Ministry of External Affairs stated in an official release.

"NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas, so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral relations. The two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant not only for the two countries but also for the region and world," the release added.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met the Member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the CPC Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs’ Meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

India and China have time and again faced border disputes dating back to 1962. The most recent clash was in June 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a scuffle in the Galwan valley. Earlier, on July 24, Doval participated in the 'Friends of BRICS' meeting in Johannesburg.

According to sources, he said the gravity of cyber risks will increase exponentially with the advent of disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Internet of Things. Doval also held a working meeting with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev and discussed the cooperation between the two countries in the field of security and economy, the Russian embassy in India said in a statement.

He added that terrorism remains one of the key threats to national peace and security. Asserting that terror organisations in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region continue to operate with impunity, he added that listing terrorists and their proxies under the United Nations counter-terrorism sanctions regime is an area on which BRICS can work together.

Doval said it was important that the decision-making of the UN Security Council sanctions committee is free from politicisation and double standards, adding that the meeting is being held at a time of great churn in the international security environment. The NSA said further the global security situation is marked by uncertainty and rising tensions.

The global economy is still covering the aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also appreciated the cooperation extended by South Africa for India's G20 Presidency, assuring India’s continued support for South Africa’s BRICS chairship this year.