Sikkim row: Differences need not be disputes, seek peaceful way, says MEA

Baglay refused to give details on diplomatic channels used to ease Doklam border tension

India on Thursday said it was seeking "peaceful resolution" of all boundary matters with China, including an ongoing over month-long military stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim sector.

At his weekly briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay referred to India's June 30 statement to reiterate that "basically India's approach has been to find peaceful resolution of all matters concerning the border with China".

He said India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will be visiting Beijing on July 27 and 28 to attend a BRICS meeting but parried questions whether there will be any bilateral meetings with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the meeting of the five-nation grouping. The meeting of NSAs of BRICS nations will be hosted by Yang.

Baglay refused to share the details on what kind of diplomatic channels the two countries were using to ease the border tension at Doklam.

"I would not like to go into the details of how and between whom and when such conversations have taken place, if they have taken place," he said.

The spokesperson said the government of India has been laying stress on the Astana consensus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at last month that the two countries must not allow differences to become disputes.

"Every responsible power, every responsible person and player in the world, of course, prefers peaceful resolution of matters that are in hand," he said.