The two leaders will meet at a luncheon of foreign ministers of the Russia-India-China grouping

External affairs minister S Jaishankar will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday. The bilateral meeting will center on reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The two leaders will meet at a luncheon of foreign ministers of the Russia-India-China grouping, said a report by Hindustan Times.

They spoke on phone earlier in June following the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley.

Jaishankar had emphasized the need for political contacts to reduce tensions and end the stalemate in the disengagement process along the LAC before embarking on his journey to Russia.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a news briefing in Beijing that Wang will hold a bilateral meeting and attend the luncheon meeting for the Chinese, Russian and Indian foreign ministers, however, he didn’t give specific details about Wang’s meeting with Jaishankar, according to the report.

“During [the SCO] meeting...Wang Yi will discuss with foreign ministers of other member states of the SCO cooperation amid Covid-19 and exchange views on major international and regional issues,” Zhao was quoted as saying in the report.

The report quoted Russian deputy chief of mission Roman Babushkin as saying that his country wasn’t directly mediating between India and China but was “focusing on the creation of a positive atmosphere through SCO, Brics and RIC for practical cooperation”.

“We are very hopeful that, sooner rather than later, India and China would find a mutually acceptable solution for the border crisis,” he added.

The report also quoted experts as having a belief that the meeting between Jaishankar and Wang is unlikely to result in an immediate breakthrough, though it could set the stage for further political engagements to end the standoff.

Read the full report in Hindustan Times