On Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The decision follows negotiations between officials from both the countries, aimed at addressing tensions that continues since the skirmishes in 2020.
During a press conference, Misri stated, ‘We have reached an agreement with China on the issues being discussed’. He emphasized that this accord is expected to pave the way for disengagement along the border, an important step toward restoring stability in the region.
The Foreign Secretary elaborated on the discussions that have come over the past several weeks, saying, ‘An agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the line of actual control in the India-China border area. This is leading to disengagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020’.
This comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia to attend the BRICS summit tomorrow. On being asked about a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, the official stated, ‘In recent weeks, diplomatic and military discussions between India and China have been ongoing. We are still coordinating the timing and details for any bilateral engagements’.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had stated that when he meant that 75 percent progress on the India-China border dispute talks was done, it was only on the disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar said India has had a difficult history with China and that Beijing moved many troops to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020, despite New Delhi having “explicit agreements” with it.
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