NEW DELHI (Kyodo) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday vowed to make efforts to resolve a border dispute, stressing that "peace and tranquility" should be maintained in the disputed Himalayan area to stabilize bilateral relations, according to the two countries.

"The two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said. Xi called on the two sides to seek "parallel, mutually reinforcing progress" on the issue, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in New Delhi, during the Chinese leader's first visit to India since 2019. Bilateral relations have been strained since a border clash in 2020 that led to casualties of troops on both sides.

The leaders shared the view that the Asian neighbors should be "partners rather than rivals" and boost economic and trade cooperation by addressing each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalances, according to the two ministries.

To promote people-to-people exchanges, Xi emphasized the importance of direct flights between the two countries. According to media reports, a flight route between Guangzhou and New Delhi is set to resume on Sept. 21, ending a six-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Xi said that, as the world's two most populous countries, China and India shoulder important responsibilities in the face of a changing and turbulent international landscape. Modi, meanwhile, pledged to promote world multipolarity and cooperation among Global South developing and emerging countries.

China will chair a BRICS summit next year. The other members of the organization are Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.