New Delhi (NVI): India today said it is engaged constantly with China through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the border issue at the earliest and both sides have maintained communication at the ground level as well to avoid any “misunderstandings” and “misjudgments” even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas.
MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava, while replying to a media query on the status of talks with the Chinese side over the border row, said the latest round of WMCC was held on 18 December and the two sides have agreed to hold the next round of Senior Commanders meeting. He said the two sides are in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard.
“In the meantime, both sides have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgments even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements to restore peace and tranquility,” he added.
Notably, India and China are locked in an around eight-month-long military stand-off along LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Thousands of troops have dug in on either side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in sub-zero conditions.
Despite a series of military and diplomatic level talks, both sides have not arrived on a concrete decision yet towards the withdrawal of troops in the region that would lead to de-escalation in tensions.
On December 18, India and China resumed diplomatic-level talks after a gap of nearly 11 weeks, to resolve the border stand-off in Ladakh as diplomats from both sides held a virtual meeting under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC).
This was the 20th meeting of the WMCC where the two sides reviewed the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas since the last round of the WMCC held on 30 September 2020.
On December 23, Army Chief General MM Naravane visited forward areas in Eastern Ladakh including Rechin La and reviewed the security situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The areas where Gen Naravane visited also fall on the southern bank of Pangong lake.
-ARK
