A good news is coming amidst the ongoing tension on LAC between India and China. Both sides held ‘constructive’ diplomatic talks on proposals to resolve remaining issues and completely withdraw troops from eastern Ladakh, but there has been no clear sign of any major breakthrough. The External Affairs Ministry said both sides decided to hold the next round of senior commanders’ meetings soon to achieve the “objective” and agreed on the need to ensure a stable situation on the ground and avoid any untoward incident. .
It said both sides reviewed the situation and had ‘open, constructive and in-depth’ discussions on proposals to resolve outstanding issues and complete disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh. The talks took place digitally under the Working Mechanism Framework for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). Gauranglal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation. The Chinese team was led by the Director General of Border and Maritime Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that both sides reviewed the situation in the area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector of the India-China border areas and agreed to resolve the outstanding issues and complete disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh. There was an open, constructive and in-depth discussion on the proposals. It said, both sides agreed on the need to maintain peace in the border areas, ensure stable situation on the ground and avoid any untoward incident.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that both sides agreed to continue military and diplomatic talks and to hold the next round of senior commanders’ meeting soon to achieve the above objective. In the military talks held last October, the Indian side had stressed on resolution of the pending issues in Depsang and Demchok. There has been a standoff between the troops of India and China at some friction points in eastern Ladakh for more than three years. However, both sides have completed the withdrawal of troops from many areas after extensive diplomatic and military talks. India says that until peace is not restored in the border areas, its relations with China cannot be normal. There was a standoff on the eastern Ladakh border on May 5, 2020, following violent clashes in the Pangong Lake area.