India says complete disengagement along Line of Actual Control is needed
Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, July 4
India and China on Thursday agreed that prolonging the current situation along the border areas was “not in the interest of either side”. India reiterated that disengagement of militaries along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was the way to remove “obstacles” in the way of normalcy in bilateral relations.
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The Ministry of External Affairs put out a statement after a meeting the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the SCO Summit at Astana, Kazakhstan.
It said: “The two ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations”.
“The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side”, the Indian statement said
Jaishankar highlighted the need to “redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations”.
The Indian statement said all bilateral agreements have to be respected. It quoted Jaishankar as saying “reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. The Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always enforced”.
Both Ministers agreed to continue and step up meetings of the diplomatic and military officials of the two sides to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. The two agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting. EAM reiterated that India-China relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests.
Earlier, Jaishankar put out a post on X saying that he met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Astana this morning.
“Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end,” Jaishankar said.
The Indian and Chinese Armies are locked in military stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since April 2020.
India has maintained that restoration of status quo as on April 2020 was a prerequisite for any forward movement in bilateral relations.