During the 20th Round of Boundary Talks between Bhutan and China held in the capital today, both the countries reaffirmed their commitment to resolve boundary issue at the earliest.
The delegations from both the countries reaffirmed their commitment through mutual consultation, understanding and accommodation on the basis of the Four Guiding Principles. The principles were agreed upon in 1988 and 1998 under the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility in the Bhutan-China border areas.
The Bhutanese delegation was led by the Minister in-charge for Foreign Affairs, Khandu Wangchuk. The delegation members included the Secretary of the International Boundaries, Dasho Pema Wangchuk and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Boundaries Secretariat.
The Chinese Delegation was led by the Vice Foreign Minister, Fu Ying. The other members of the Chinese delegation included the Deputy Director General of the Asian Affairs, Sun Weidong, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today’s meeting provided an opportunity for the two sides to better understand each other’s positions which will facilitate in arriving at an early and just settlement of the boundary between the two countries.
The Ministry says the two sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and cooperation in the multilateral arena, including Bhutan’s aspiration to serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2013-2014 for which the elections will be held in October this year.
