India, China foreign ministers to meet regularly

NEW DELHI - The foreign ministers of India and China are going to meet annually from now on, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Thursday.

Rao said on the second day of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s India visit that a “strong personal chemistry” was evident in the interactions between Wen and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Thursday’s meeting between Manmohan Singh and Wen was the 11th, and Wen is visiting India for a second time after April 2005.

Rao said that Wen’s 2005 visit “in many ways (is) seen as a turning point in our ties”.

“The personal relationship between the two prime ministers was also reflected when Manmohan Singh hosted a private dinner for Wen last night,” she said.

Rao added that since 2005 the relationship between India and China had undergone a major transformation. “Our cooperation is growing significantly. We are working together in many more areas than before.”