NVI Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct 21 (NVI): The government announced that India and China had agreed to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, paving the way for disengagement.
This development comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for the 16th BRICS Summit, where talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping may take place.
Recent weeks have seen frequent communication between Indian and Chinese diplomats and military officials.
These discussions have led to an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in the India-China border area, which is expected to result in disengagement and a resolution of issues that emerged in 2020, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the development as a significant breakthrough. “Frictions occur between large nations, but this represents a major breakthrough,” he said.
Since May 2020, Indian and Chinese forces have been involved in a stand-off. India’s goal remains to return to the situation along the LAC as it was before the tensions of 2020.
The new agreement specifically addresses patrolling in the Depsang and Demchok regions.
Previously, the two countries had withdrawn from four of six friction points in eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley, where a violent clash in June 2020 marked the most serious military conflict between the two in decades. (News Vibes of India)
