Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday discussed all core and difficult issues, including boundary disputes, visas to Indian citizens from Jammu & Kashmir and the imbalances in bilateral trade between India and China, with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

The two Prime Ministers, who are here for the East Asia Summit, decided to be ?sensitive to each other?s core issues? and directed their officials and special representatives to work towards an early resolution.

The Chinese Prime Minister said he would visit India by the end of this year. ?To make this visit a productive one, I suggest that we discuss and reach a consensus on some major aspects, so as to lay a foundation for the visit,? Wen said in his opening remarks.

National security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon told media persons in a media briefing ? after the 30-minute meeting between the two leaders ? that the dates of Wen?s visit to New Delhi are still being finalised. Sources said the ministry of external affairs has proposed December 16-17 as the dates.

To prepare the ground for substantive talks, the special representatives of the two countries will meet in Beijing before the end of November.

?In the meanwhile, the PMs said peace and tranquility be maintained along the borders,? Menon said.

While Singh, who was meeting Wen for the tenth time since he assumed office six years ago, took a broader strategic view of the bilateral relationship, he also discussed the specifics. Understandably, the boundary dispute is a long-standing one and a resolution will take a while but Friday?s bilateral talks did not lead to any immediate positive outcome on the visa row or commencement of high-level defence exchanges between the two countries either.

?Some high-level discussions, for the present, are paused,? maintained Menon.

?Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the development of the relationship and exhibited determination to carry it forward,? said Menon. He also described the meeting between Singh and Wen as warm and friendly and one covering the entire gamut of the relationship.

As far as the ?difficult? boundary issue is concerned, the two Prime Ministers stressed the need to find an early resolution. ?We agreed to carry forward the process based on the guiding principles and political parameters agreed to in 2005,? said Menon. The Special Representatives? meeting by November end will work the way out, he added.

Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s Khazanah Global Lecture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wen Jiabao said he agreed that the world had large enough space to meet the growth ambitions of both India and China. ?He (Prime Minister Wen Jiabao) added to it and said there is enough space to also have cooperation in all areas,? Menon pointed out.

N-deal ready with S Korea

India finalised an agreement on civil uses of nuclear energy with South Korea, making it the ninth country with which it has such a deal after having received a waiver from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers? Group in 2008. The agreement follows a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

China outlines steps to address trade imbalance

During the meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said his country was conscious of India?s unfavourable position in the bilateral trade between the two countries. ?He outlined the steps taken by China since the beginning of the year when the joint economic group of the two countries met,? national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said. In the first nine months, trade between India and China touched $45 billion. There is some diminution in the trade imbalance, but further measures are needed, he added.