M A I N   N E W S

Sino-Indian JWG to meet more often
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, April 29 — India and China today decided that the Joint Working Group (JWG) on boundary question will meet as frequently as required.

The decision was taken at the 12th meeting of the JWG, which met for two days in the capital. The meeting ended with both sides reiterating commitment to seek ‘‘fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable’’ settlement of the 40-year old boundary issue, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The JWG, which was co-chaired by the Foreign Secretary, Mr Lalit Mansingh and the visiting Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister, Mr Yang Wenchang, also agreed that as part of the confidence-building measures India and China would exchange delegations of their military training institutes. Accordingly, an Indian delegation of the National Defence College will visit China in May this year.The discussion on the boundary issues included clarification of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the spokesman stressed.

The two sides also discussed arrangements for the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan’s visit to China towards the end of the next month. The Chinese side underlined the significance it attached to the visit of Mr Narayanan as this would boost mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Narayanan, who has served in Beijing as India’s ambassador and knows the dynamics of the Sino-Indian relationship, will be able to provide a positive dimension to the bilateral relationship through talks with the top Chinese leadership during his stay in China.

A visit at the highest level in the backdrop of 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties is bound to go well in China. The Chinese government has appreciated India’s handling of the Karmapa issue, the spokesman said. The 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorjee came to India after fleeing from Tibet few months ago.