The sixth round of corps commander-level talks took place on September 21 (performance)
New Delhi:
India and China on Wednesday assessed “positively” the decisions taken in the latest round of military talks to defuse the nearly five-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh and pushed for their implementation in order to ‘avoid misunderstandings and maintain stability on the ground.
Diplomats from the two countries have held another round of virtual talks under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, but it is reported that no concrete results have emerged from the negotiations to speed up. the end of the tense stalemate and that the two sides pledged to continue the process of dialogue.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was agreed that the next round of the military senior commanders’ meeting should take place at an early date so that both sides can work towards an early disengagement. and full troops along the actual line of conduct. Control (LAC) in accordance with the bilateral agreement and existing protocols, and fully restore peace and quiet.
The MEA also said the two sides noted that the agreement reached between the foreign ministers of the two countries should be “sincerely implemented” to ensure disengagement at all friction points along the LAC.
“In this regard, both sides positively assessed the results of the Sixth Senior Commanders Meeting on September 21. They stressed the need to implement the steps outlined in the joint press release issued after the last senior commanders meeting in order to avoid misunderstandings and maintain stability on the ground, ”MEA said in a statement.
“In this context, the need to strengthen communication, in particular between the commanders on the ground, was stressed by both sides,” he said.
The MEA said the two sides reviewed the current situation along the LAC region and had “frank and detailed” discussions on developments since the last WMCC meeting on August 20.
The sixth round of corps commander-level talks took place on September 21, after which they announced a series of decisions, including not to send more troops to the front line, to refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and to avoid taking any further complicating actions. account.
The military talks proceeded with a clear agenda of developing a roadmap to implement the five-point agreement reached between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet.
The agreement included measures such as the rapid disengagement of troops, avoiding any action that could aggravate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and measures to restore peace along the LAC region. .
“Both sides attached importance to the meetings between the two defense ministers and the two foreign ministers which were held earlier this month. They also noted that the agreement between the two foreign ministers should be sincerely implemented to ensure disengagement at all friction points along the LAC region. Said the MEA. Defense ministers of the two countries also met on the sidelines of another SCO event in Moscow on September 4.
In its statement, the MEA also said the two sides agreed to continue to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military levels.
The Indian delegation to the WMCC talks was led by MEA Deputy Secretary (East Asia) Naveen Srivastava while the Chinese side was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Department of Borders and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Affairs. foreigners.
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry said the two officials had agreed to seriously implement the five-point consensus reached between the two foreign ministers.
The ministry said the two sides also agreed to strictly abide by agreements and protocols on border affairs, take practical steps to further facilitate and calm the border situation, and avoid taking any actions that might complicate matters.
Meanwhile, speaking at an event, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said his country believes Sino-Indian relations go far beyond bilateral reach and have great regional and global significance, adding that a strong relationship between the two countries was an important and positive factor in maintaining world stability.
“China and India are neighbors that cannot be far apart. This is why living in harmony is the only right choice. We look forward to working with the Indian side to ensure the stability of the overall relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, “he said.
“As long as the two sides adhere to this common goal and move in the right direction, Sino-Indian relations will eventually disperse the clouds and get back on track,” he added.
The envoy also referred to the chapter on India-China relations in the recently published book “The India Way” written by S Jaishankar.
“Both sides need to firmly grasp the general direction of the relationship, view each other as positive factors in the changing balance of power in the world, and deal with differences in a more mature way,” Sun said.
Wednesday’s talks took place amid a war of words between the two sides over perceptions of the LAC, with the de facto Sino-Indian border stretching nearly 3,500 km.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry recently insisted that China comply with the LAC as proposed by then Prime Minister Zhou Enlai to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in a letter dated November 7, 1959.
In a strong backlash, India on Tuesday categorically rejected China’s “supposedly unilaterally defined” 1959 LAC and asked the neighboring country to refrain from advancing an “untenable” interpretation of the de facto border.
The government has also reminded China that its insistence that there is only one “LAC” runs counter to the solemn commitments made by Beijing in previous bilateral agreements, and hopes it will honor them. ” sincerely “in their entirety.
