(Eds: Updating with more details)New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj today held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yion key bilateral issues in a "forward looking" approach, whichsought to put behind issues of divergence such as the Dokalamepisode.
According to officials, Swaraj and Wang discussed allissues of mutual interest"Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I agreed that we shouldfurther strengthen our mutual trust to develop a betterunderstanding between the two parties. And it will be betterto meet again and without agenda, which will help us to expandour mutual understanding," Swaraj said.
On his part, Wang talked about political settlement toresolve "hotspot and difficult issues" and also pitched fordialogue and consultations over use of force.
The Chinese foreign minister also stressed on the need tofind commonalities in strategic areas.
Asked if the Dokalam episode came up in the talks,officials did not confirm but said "all issues of mutualinterest were discussed".
Imparting fresh momentum to bilateral relationship,EAM Sushma Swaraj had a positive and "forward looking" meetingwith Wang, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Officials said there was a lot of "positivity" during the"frank" discussions Swaraj and Wang held on wide-rangingissues.
There was a realisation that both India and China areneighbours and they need to live side by side, a seniorofficial, privy to the discussion between the two sides, said.
The feeling during the discussion was that there will bedifferences but the emphasis should be on convergences, theofficial said.
This is the first high-level visit from China after theDokalam standoff in the Sikkim sector this summer. Chineseand Indian troops were locked in a 73-day border standoff fromJune 16 when Indian soldiers stopped Chinese personnel frombuilding a key road close to India's 'chicken's neck'corridor.
On August 28, India announced the "disengagement" betweenthe soldiers of the two countries.
The road was being built by China in an area also claimedby Bhutan.
Wang also said connectivity projects should complimentinstead of contradicting each other and should supplementand not conflict for regional integration.
The remarks by the Chinese leader come in the backdrop ofIndia boycotting the major Chinese infrastructure initiative'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) part of which was passing throughthe Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), which India asserts isunder illegal occupation of Pakistan.
Wang also stressed that China does not approve of "sphereof influence".
Swaraj also held a bilateral meeting with Russian ForeignMinister Sergey Lavrov.
"Further strengthening our strategic partnership, EAMSushma Swaraj had a productive meeting with the RussianForeign Minister Sergey Lavrov on issues of mutualinterest..," Kumar said. PTI PYKRT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
