BEIJING - Beijing and New Delhi have agreed to establish an intergovernmental hotline to connect the prime ministers of both nations.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and visiting Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna on Wednesday share their views of a first day cover marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. They also witnessed the signing of an agreement to set up a hotline linking their top leaders. [Photo by Yang Shizhong, China Daily]

Premier Wen Jiabao, who met visiting Indian Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna on Wednesday, said the decision signified closer ties between the neighbors.

The idea was proposed during a meeting between President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in June last year.

Dedicated phone lines are likely to be set up in the prime ministers' offices of the two countries, enabling the premiers to converse directly.

This is the first time in recent years that India has established a dedicated hotline facility with another country.

Krishna is visiting China to take part in celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.

A formal inaugural of the Festival of India in China, which would encompass a wide range of activities showcasing diverse forms of Indian art and culture lasting to October, took place on Wednesday evening in Beijing's Forbidden City compound.

Sun Jiazheng, the vice-chairman of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the former Minister of Culture, will be in India later this month for the inaugural of the Chinese Festival in India.

"It is hoped there will be more leadership-level visits from China to India later this year," said Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao at a briefing soon after Krishna completed his discussions with Chinese leaders.

Rao said Indian President Pratibha Patil is likely to visit China later this year, which the Chinese leadership said, "would be a significant milestone in our relationship" and one that they were "greatly looking forward to".

According to Rao, people to people exchanges formed a key part in the discussions and both foreign ministers agreed to increase exchanges among students, school teachers, the youth, university heads and media personnel, so as to promote mutual understanding.

China would like to invite about 100 secondary school students to visit China, and around 50 teachers to begin with, Rao said.

Rao summed up the two-day discussions as "useful, constructive and wide-ranging", and the discussions showed that the relationship between the neighbors "has more than a bilateral dimension, and a global impact."

"And, a long-term strategic view is required of this relationship," Rao said.