Doval to meet Xi Jinping with BRICS NSAs

Beijing July 26 (IANS) India s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval along with his BRICS counterparts will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Doval will reach Beijing on Thursday to attend the two-day BRICS security meet. Officials here said the meeting will take place in the afternoon.

It is to be seen if Doval and China s top diplomat Yang Jiechi will meet on the sidelines of the summit.

Beijing has ruled out any talks with New Delhi until New Delhi withdraws troops from Doklam on the Sikkim section of the Sino-Indian border.

China on Wednesday made clear that India s pullback from Doklam remained the "precondition" for any dialogue on the issue.

The NSA meet where the five-nation bloc traditionally discusses counterterrorism and security issues assumes significance in view of the dragging border row between India and China.

On Monday an editorial in the state-run Global Times said India should not pin hopes on Doval s visit to resolve the border stand-off.

--IANS
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