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The 25th round of boundary talks between China and Bhutan was held in Beijing, with the delegates from the two countries carrying forward the negotiations to settle boundary disputes and commending the work of an expert group in this direction, according to an official release from the Chinese foreign ministry.
The two sides agreed to build on the "positive momentum" from the ongoing boundary negotiations, the release stated. The talks were held on October 23 and 24, with the Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong. The Bhutanese delegation was led by the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Tandi Dorji. "The two sides held in-depth discussions on the boundary negotiations and noted the progress made through a series of Expert Group Meetings since the 24th Round of Boundary Talks in 2016," read a joint statement issued after the talks. China and Bhutan also inked a cooperation agreement on the responsibilities and functions of the Joint Technical Team on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary. "During the talks, the two leaders of the delegations signed the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary," the statement read further. The JTT was formed during the 13th Expert Group Meeting to assist in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Three-Step Roadmap, according to the release. The two leaders also agreed to continue working together to simultaneously push forward the implementation of all the steps of the Three-Step Roadmap. "The discussions were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere in keeping with the ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Bhutan," the joint statement read further. Later, both sides exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, it added. The Bhutanese delegation. during their visit to China for the boundary talks, also visited places of historical and cultural significance. (ANI)
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