(a) whether there is any proposal to provide hotline to the Prime Minister of India and the President of China;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the purpose therefor;
(c) the expenditure involved in his regard;
(d) whether similar hotlines are presently functioning with other countries;
(e) if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the new hotlines proposed to be started in the coming years with other countries?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI S. M. KRISHNA)
(a) to (f) The Chinese side has proposed that there should be a hotline between the Chinese Premier and the Prime Minister
of India to maintain regular contacts at the highest level. The two countries are in the process of discussing the technical
and the other modalities. A hotline between India and Russia is currently operational.