Bangalore, October 28: External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday said no time frame has been set for resolving the border dispute with China, as it is a long and time-consuming process.
“No time frame (has been) set to settle the border issue with China. It is a long and time-consuming process. We have to have lot of patience before the delineation work is completed,” Krishna told reporters here.
To a query whether the border issue was discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during the bilateral talks Tuesday, Krishna said both countries have evolved a separate mechanism to find an acceptable solution through negotiations by their special representatives.
“Our special representative, national security advisor M.K. Narayanan and his Chinese counterpart (Dai Bingguo) have met 13 times already and more meetings are to take place. As it is a long process, no time frame has been set,” Krishna clarified.
Asserting that the India-China border was one of the most peaceful and tranquil borders in the world, Krishna said as it was not delineated yet, there could possibly be incursions once in a while across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) but nothing to be alarmed about it.
“Our relations with China are very warm. If there are incursions across the LAC without being aware of it sometimes because it is not a delineated border, we have worked out a mechanism to sort out such incidents at that level itself,” Krishna noted.
On the bilateral talks, Krishna said the entire gamut of relations between the two countries was discussed and that included whatever the two prime ministers (Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao) discussed at Hua Hin in Thailand last week-end.
“Both the countries want to have cordial and friendly relations. Our effort is to take this relationship to the level of being partners. I found goodwill on all sides.
Asked whether Chinese participation in projects in Pakistan-administered Kashmir figured in the bilateral talks, Krishna said that “it did not come up” for discussion.
On whether China was a bigger threat than Pakistan to India, Krishna said he did not accept that any of the neigbouring countries was a threat to India.
“We have been stating that we would like to have cordial and friendly relations with our neighbours, be it China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Nepal. We would like to have best of the relations with all of them, as we cannot choose our neigbours,” he pointed out.
Krishna also clarified that India holds bilateral talks with any foreign country from the position of strength and on equal terms.
“When India sits for bilateral meetings with any foreign country, we sit as equals regardless of their economic might and military might. We always conduct our deliberations with a sense of equality supported by mutual respect,” Krishna added.
—Agencies