Doval meets Yang ahead of Indian ministers' visit

India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday met China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi ahead of important visits by two Indian ministers in April and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June.

Doval met Yang in Shanghai and discussed a wide range of spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

"The two sides agreed to maintain the pace of high-level exchanges, with a view to fully realize the potential of a closer development partnership between India and China," the Indian Embassy in Beijing said.

Yang was Doval's counterpart as China's State Councillor on boundary talks with India until March when he was elevated to the higher post of the Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission.

Their last meeting was in New Delhi in December last year as special representatives of their countries on the 20th round of protracted border talks.

Indian's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be in Beijing on April 24 where they will discuss a host of issues with their counterparts. Modi will meet Xi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in June.

Both sides have been trying to reset their ties after the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam along their border.

--IANS

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