Wednesday, June 21 2006 19:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: To take forward the dialogue process with China to resolve the boundary issue, India's Special Representative M K Narayanan will leave for Beijing this week end to hold two days of talks with his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo from June 26.

This will be the eighth round of talks between the two neighbours to discuss an agreed framework for resolution of the boundary question in a constructive and friendly atmosphere, official sources said today.

National Security Advisor Narayanan had met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai here in March for the previous round of parleys to find a fair and reasonable framework acceptable to both sides for a final settlement of the protracted issue.

China has stated that it believed that as long as the two sides proceed forward and conduct patient, thorough and friendly consultations in the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, they could reach a fair and reasonable framework acceptable to both sides so as to lay the foundation for the final settlement of the boundary issue.

During their talks in Beijing next week, the Special Representatives are expected to continue their discussions on the framework for resolving the border issue from the political perspective and keeping in view the overall bilateral relations.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had visited China lastmonth and the two countries had then signed their first-ever MoU to institutionalise military training and had expressed their 'endeavour' to hold joint military exercises and training programmes to add more content to emerging strategic relations between them.

The talks assume significance as the two sides are scheduled to exchange high-level visits during the year to mark the first-ever 'India-China Friendship Year.'

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told Dai in March during a meeting here that that friendly relations between India and China will make great contribution to peace and prosperity not only in the two countries but also in Asia and the world.

Singh had said both the countries should speed up their work for the final settlement of the border issue.

The Prime Minister had also said that within the framework of strategic partnership, India was willing to push forward its cooperation with China in all respects to boost bilateral ties to a new level.

The two countries had decided in June 2003 to appoint special representatives to deal with the boundary issue during the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to China.

During the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here in April last year, the two countries had reached an understanding on a set of 'political parameter' and 'guiding principles' for settling the boundary question.