India and China today agreed to strengthen and expand their ties as their top officials discussed implementation of new confidence-building measures, like the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, to build trust and understanding.
The 17th round of meeting between Special Representatives, which ended here today, saw "candid, friendly and constructive" discussions on a wide range of issues covering bilateral, regional and international issues.
The focus of the talks was on ways to maintain peace and tranquility on the border, which both sides agreed is the "cornerstone of the expanding India-China relationship".
Briefing reporters on the two-day talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said "the Special Representatives agreed that strong and expanding India-China partnershp bodes well" for the two countries as well as the region.
"The Special Representatives elaborated on possible additional confidence-building measures, including the early implementation of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA)," he said.
The Indian side was led by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon while the Chinese delegation was headed by Yang Jiechi.
The BDCA, signed late last year, spells out a series of measures to enhance coordination between the armies of the two countries along the disputed 4,057km long Line of Actual Control.
The SRs, who have been engaged to addresss the boundary issue for over eight years, are in the second of the three-phased process. The first phase -- Political Parameters and Guiding Principles -- has already been completed and the current step of building the framework for a settlement is considered the most difficult part.
The third and final step will be demarcation and delineation of the boundary.
Asked how long it will take to reach the settlement, the MEA spokesman refused to hazard a guess, arguing the issue is "complex". However, he added both sides are seriously working to reach a settlement.
