PM presents Menon as Indias official for border talks
By IANSThursday, April 15, 2010
BRASILIA - Indias Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday introduced National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon to Chinese President Hu Jintao as New Delhis new special representative (SR) for boundary talks as the two leaders decided to accelerate the resolution of their decades-old dispute.
The prime minister introduced the NSA to the Chinese president as Indias new special representative for boundary talks, Vishnu Prakash, the spokesperson of Indias external affairs ministry, told journalists after wide-ranging talks between Manmohan Singh and Hu.
Menon, a former foreign secretary who speaks fluent Mandarin and is a former ambassador of India to China, will soon hold the 14th round of boundary talks with Dai Bingguo, the powerful state councillor and Chinas special representative.
Dates will be decided soon, said Prakash.
Menon was designated as Indias new SR three weeks ago.
The mechanism of special representatives was set by the two sides in 2003 during then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees visit to Beijing in 2003.
The two sides decided to pursue “a fair and mutually acceptable” solution to the boundary dispute and maintain tranquility along the Line of Actual Control pending the resolution of the dispute, the spokesperson said.
Two days before his meeting with Hu, Manmohan Singh had said in Washington that India and China were working hard to find “pragmatic solution” to the border problem.
In their 45 minute-talks at Hotel Grand Bittar in the heart of the Brazilian capital, Manmohan Singh and Hu also decided to pursue balanced trade by spurring greater market access for each others products.
