National Security Advisor(NSA)Ajit Doval is likely to discuss the issue of tension still prevailing at the border in Ladakh and ongoing Ukraine conflict with his Chinese and Russian counterparts in South Africa on Monday. He is there to take part in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa(BRICS) NSA's meet in Johannesburg.
The high-profile meet takes place before the BRICS summit there on August 22-24. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to South Africa for the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also not likely to go there. He may take part in the parleys in the virtual mode, sources said here on Sunday.
As regards, Doval's visit, they said he will meet senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi and Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of Russian Security Council.
The meeting will be attended by special invitees like United Arab Emirates(UAE)National Security Advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Arabia NSA Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban.
The agenda of the BRICS NSA meeting is to discuss global issues like the Ukraine war, Indo-Pacific, religious radicalization and terrorism.
As tension still prevails at the Line of Actual Control(LAC)in eastern Ladakh, Doval and Jiechi may discuss ways to speed up the process of disengagement from the remaining two or three friction points.
India has all along maintained that status quo ante as it prevailed before May 2020 at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has to be restored for normalising ties between the two countries.
Given the present situation there, more than 50,000 troops each from both the sides are facing each other at the LAC in Ladakh leading to tension.
The Chinese army has reportedly increased deployment in areas across the Daulet Beg Oldi sector and is still not allowing the Indian Army to legitimately patrol Depsang Bulge area as well as Charding Ninglung Nullah (CNN) junction in Demchok.
Besides holding talks with the Chinese diplomat, Doval will also hold parleys with his Russian counterpart besides those of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
They are likely to discuss the impact of the ongoing Ukraine conflict on the supply chains.
Doval is likely to update Patrushev about the situation at the LAC and the Indo-Pacific, sources said. The politically unstable situation in Afghanistan and its impact on terrorism emanating from the Af-Pak region will also figure prominently in the BRICS NSA meeting.
