Sushma Swaraj embarks on two-nation visit

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Saturday morning departed for a two-nation visit to China and neigbouring Mongolia from 21 to 26 April.

The External Affairs Minister will participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where India became a full member in 2017.

India was an 'observer' in the grouping since 2005 and was made full member along with Pakistan last year.

According to the reports, Swaraj is also likely to hold a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit.

Her visit to China comes in the backdrop of the efforts made by both India and China to move past the tensions which rose out of last year's Doklam standoff.

On a related note, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with the Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Yang Jiechi during the former's two-day bilateral visit to China.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Doval, who visited the country from April 12 to 13, was a part of regular high-level engagement between India and China.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

(ANI)