China and India were able to “reduce differences” and build “some consensus” on disengaging troops from friction points to end the standoff in eastern Ladakh and agreed to maintain dialogue to reach a reso lution acceptable to both sides at an “early date”, Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Under the guidance of two leaders, China and In dia have maintained com munication with each other through diplomatic and military channels includ ing between two foreign ministers and China’s For eign Minister and India’s National Security Advisor and through the border consultation mechanisms, Zhang Xiaogang said. Both China and India through talks were “able to reduce their differences and build some consensus be sides agreeing to strengthen dialogue to accommodate each other’s legitimate con cerns”, Zhang, a spokes person for the Ministry of National Defence, told a media briefing here. “The two sides agreed to reach a resolution at an early date acceptable to both sides,” he said. He was replying to a question on the talks be tween the two countries on disengagement from the remaining friction points especially Demchok and Depsang to end the over four-year-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh resulting in a freeze of re lations between the two countries. Zhang referred to the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishan kar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as the recent meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in Russia between Wang and National Secu rity Advisor Ajit Doval. On September 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes person Mao Ning, while commenting on the talks between Wang and Doval, said the “front-line armies of the two countries have realised disengagement in four areas in the western sector of the China-India border, including the Gal wan Valley”. In his reply to the ques tion, Zhang didn’t com ment on the progress of the disengagement from the remaining areas in cluding Depsang and Demchok but said both sides will continue to con solidate the outcomes. “We will continue to consolidate the outcomes we have reached and re spect bilateral agreements and confidence-building measures to safeguard peace and tranquillity at the border,” he said. His comment respecting bilateral agreements came as Jaishankar while addressing an event hosted by Asia So ciety Policy Institute in New York on Tuesday said there were a series of agreements between the two countries that went into greater and greater detail on how to make sure the border remained peaceful and stable. PTI