In a major step to avoid face-offs at the line of Actual Control (lAC), the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Thursday approved the Border Defence Co-Operation Agreement likely to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China next week. He will first visit Russia and then China.
The border pact will come up for discussion between Singh and his Chinese counterpart li Keqiang and the two leaders will also explore ways to have more confidence building measures to maintain peace on the border. “We are trying to get the agreement signed,” officials said on Thursday.
Stating this, they also said India is keen that People’s liberation Army (PlA) is involved in the process of confidence building measures adding the two countries have agreed on a framework agreement to resolve the disputed border. The framework agreement is a three-step progress, they said.
As regards the issue of stapled visas, especially in the context of the latest involving two archers from Arunachal Pradesh, sources said it will come up in the discussions between the two leaders.
“The fact is we don’t like this (issue of stapled visas by Chinese to people of Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. We are not going to accept,” sources said adding it would be conveyed to the Chinese side during the visit.
They said a proposed liberalised visa regime between the two countries is unlikely to be signed. The issue, which was to come up in the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, was deferred.
Sources said India was insisting on long term Chinese visas for Indian businessmen and professionals, including those from IT companies on a reciprocal basis before it can be done by New Delhi.
While the Prime Minister is not expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism directed from Pakistan, the issue of Beijing’s nuclear cooperation with Islamabad will figure in the discussions. “Our worry is what do they do with them (nuclear facilities),” sources said.
Elaborating upon the agenda for talks with President Vladimir Putin during Singh’s Russia visit, they said Moscow and New Delhi are involved in talks to sort out the nuclear liability issues before the two leaders sign an agreement for setting up Units III and IV of the Kudankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu.
Seeking to dismiss any major problems on the nuclear liability clause, an issue said to be nagging the Russians, officials said the public-sector General Insurance Corporation (GIC) was working on issues relating to insurance and nuclear safety in view of the liability clause. Apart from nuclear cooperation, Singh and Putin will also review the strategic partnership between the two countries covering political and military issues.
They will take stock of development on joint production of the fifth generation fighter aircraft and multi-role transport aircraft. Officials also said Russians would be interested to know details of the explosion in the Russian-origin Kilo class submarine that sunk in Mumbai in August.