Monday, January 24 2005 13:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Building on the new momentum in bilateral ties, India and China today (Jan 24, 2005) held their first-ever 'strategic dialogue' in New Delhi covering major global and regional issues including international terrorism, non-proliferation and energy security.

UN reforms, developments in Iraq and issues relating to Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea are expected to come up during the parleys.

The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Vice Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Wu Dawei.

The aim of the strategic dialogue is to broaden the scope of the blooming bilateral relationship, allowing both sides to exchange notes on global and regional security issues, official sources said.

Wu is likely to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh during the visit.

The need for such a dialogue was emphasised during the meeting of the Prime Minister with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Summit in Laos in November last year.

Recognising the immense untapped potential for economic cooperation, the two leaders had agreed to strengthen this relationship.

The talks will also prepare grounds for the visit of Wen expected to take place in March.