India-china hold border talks; discuss CBMS after Doklam
NEW DELHI: India and China agreed on Friday that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, and exchanged ideas on various confidence building measures (CBMS) in this regard as the two sides tried to put behind them the Doklam episode.
After a meeting between the Special Representatives (SRS) of India and China on the Boundary Question - Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India and Yang Jiechi, State Councillor -- the external affairs ministry said the talks were “positive”.
During Friday’s border talks, first since the 73-day-long military standoff in Doklam, the two sides underlined the need to build on their convergences while seeking mutually acceptable resolutions of their differences with due respect for each other’s concerns, sensitivities and aspirations.
While the MEA statement did not say whether the Doklam issue was discussed, in Beijing, a spokesperson in Chinese foreign ministry skirted a question on whether it figured during the talks and instead said, “This mechanism is not only a high-level channel for dialogue on border issues between the two sides but also important platform for strategic communication between China and India.”
The Doklam standoff began on June 16 after the Indian troops intervened and stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the area claimed by Bhutan as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states. The two armies “disengaged” on August 28.
“The two sides agreed that pending the final resolution of the boundary question, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. In this regard, the Special Representatives exchanged ideas on various confidence building measures,” the MEA said in a statement.
It further said, “The talks were positive and focused on bringing out the full potential of the Closer Developmental Partnership between the two countries.”
The SRS undertook a comprehensive review of earlier rounds of the talks and agreed that an early settlement of the boundary question serves the fundamental interests of both countries. NEW DELHI: China’s special representative on the boundary question Yang Jiechi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday.
Doval and Yang Jiechi, who is also the State Councillor in China, held talks on the boundary issue earlier in the day. They briefed Modi on the 20th round of talks between the special representatives of China and India on the boundary question.
“The prime minister fondly recalled his visit to Xiamen for the 9th BRICS Summit in September, and his meeting with President Xi Jinping there. The prime minister said that a strong India-china relationship is important not only for the mutual benefit of the people of India and China, but also for the region and the world,” a PMO statement said.
Yang Jiechi also conveyed the greetings of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to the prime minister. NEW DELHI: Aiming holistic sanitation development in villages on the banks of river Ganga, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is holding a multi-stakeholder meet on Saturday to launch the Ganga Gram Project under the Namami Gange Programme.
In August 2017, with active cooperation with the five states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal), the ministry had declared all 4,470 Ganga grams open defecation free (ODF). As the ministry is the nodal agency for the Swachh Bharat Mission, 5.2 crore toilets have been constructed since the launch of mission in October 2014, the Press release issued by the ministry said.
In a major achievement, the ministry has made 2.95 lakh villages, 260 districts, 6 states and 2 Union Territories, open defecation free, the release said.
“Subsequent to making all Ganga bank villages ODF, the ministry has identified 24 villages to be taken up as a pilot project to transform them into Ganga Grams. They will set the bench mark of cleanliness and integrated effort of development, which will be converted into Ganga Grams by December 31, 2018,” the release said.
Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of river Ganga with active participation of the villagers. The objectives of the project include solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds and water resources, water conservation projects, organic farming, horticulture, and promotion of medicinal plants.