BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday welcomed the meeting between India and Pakistan to discuss and finalize modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor.

China hopes relevant progress will help to further ease tensions between India and Pakistan and improve the regional situation, foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing.

Reports stated that the first meeting on modalities and a draft agreement for facilitating Indian pilgrims to visit a pilgrimage site in Pakistan were held on March 14 at the Attari international border between the two countries.

"India and Pakistan are neighbors that will always live with each other," Geng said, adding that harmonious relationship between the two countries serves the fundamental interests of both sides and meets the common expectation of the international community.

He expressed hope that both sides could continue to demonstrate goodwill, meet each other halfway, properly settle differences through dialogues, improve bilateral relations and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.