India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA's in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he spoke about the situation at the border areas.
According to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Doval conveyed that the conflict situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has eroded strategic trust and the political and public basis of the India-China relationship.
Emphasising the importance of efforts to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas, the Indian NSA called for the removal of impediments to normalcy in the bilateral ties between the two nations. Both sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant for the Asian region and the world.
It is worth mentioning that the meeting between New Delhi and Beijing is considered crucial amid the fact the two nations engaged in a deadly clash in Ladakh in May 2020. Nevertheless, holding multiple meetings with commanders and defence ministers of both sides, the issue betwixt is still unsettled.
BRICS NSAs' meeting
Doval attended the meetings of the NSAs of the BRICS member states in Johannesburg on Monday where he discussed a series of pressing issues including cybersecurity and its linkage with terrorism.
"NSA highlighted the need for collective efforts to deal with challenges emanating from cybersecurity. The Global South in particular needed to overcome limitations of resources. In this endeavour, India will always remain at the forefront working closely with the Global South," according to the statement released following the crucial meeting.
Doval, during the meeting, underscored the menace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and asserted that the gravity of cyber risks will increase exponentially with the advent of technologies. He also highlighted the linkages between cyber criminals and terrorists including the use of cyberspace for financing, money laundering, radicalizing, lone wolf attacks, recruitment and secured communications.
Notably, BRICS is a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa formed in 2009 intending to promote peace, security, development and cooperation, especially in the global south.
