India, China foreign ministers to meet on Tuesday

The foreign ministers of both India and China will meet in Bengaluru on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Russia, India, China foreign ministers' conference.

The meeting between India and China is expected to narrow down the differences between the two Asian giants in the backdrop of recent rise in border tension.

Vishnu Prakas, joint secretary and spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs, told a press conference that the foreign ministers of India, Russia and China would hold a trilateral discussion to explore greater cooperation in political and business interests. A bilateral meeting of the foriegn ministers of India and China would follow this meeting.

However, Prakash declined to give details of the specific issues that would come up between the two ministers during the meeting. He said that no issue has been kept off the table.

Clearing the air over the recent controversy, he said that the two countries enjoyed cooperative and strategic partnership over the years. The convergence has grown and divergence has narrowed down. Tuesday's meeting will further attempt to narrow down the differences.

Speaking of the incursions along the Line of Actual Control, he said no border demarcation has actually taken place and the instances of incursions are the views expressed by both the countries based on the LAC. He said both sides have the maturity and the frame work to work on any differences.

Regarding the Dalai Lama, Prakas said that he is a guest of India and also a spiritual leader. He, however, made it clear that no Tibetan is allowed to undertake any anti-China political activity on Indian soil.