Purpose of China, Russia visits achieved, says PM

Asked about the agreement on trans-border rivers with China and what impact he expected to have in the north-east which he represents in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said because he represented the region he was emphatic that cooperation between China and India on the trans-border river system should move forward.

“I have been discussing this earlier also with the Chinese leadership. I raised this issue again and there is incremental progress. They have agreed to supply data for more number of days. Also they have recognised that the behaviour of the trans-border river system is of interest to all riparian states. So our concerns have been put on the table. I hope there will be progress in years to continue,” he said. 

Asked about the mention of the problem of terrorism, extremism, and radicalism emanating from the region as a matter of concern and how Russia and China saw them, Singh said both in Russia and China he found growing recognition that terrorism was a threat to all the countries of the region. 

They found that terrorism and extremism were both enemies of progress and that they must work together, pool intelligence and information system to deal with this menace. 

Asked about the proposed liberalised visa regime with China, the Prime Minister said that is an aspiration that both the countries have and hoped that they can find a workable mechanism to realise this goal.