New Delhi (NVI): Amid the ongoing military and diplomatic level talks to ease tensions at India-China border in Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today said that re-deployment of troops at their regular posts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) can be done only through “mutually agreed reciprocal actions”.
External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, while addressing a media briefing here said that although some progress had been made towards disengagement of troops at disputed points along LAC in Ladakh, the complete normalisation of positioning of troops at the border is a “complex process” and “requires re-deployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the LAC”.
“It is natural that this can be done only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions,” he added.
The MEA spokesman further added that India expects China to sincerely help in complete disengagement and de-escalation of troops to manitain peace and tranquility in the border areas as agreed by the Special Representatives.
“While we would like the ongoing disengagement process to be completed at the earliest, it is important to bear in mind that achieving this requires agreed actions by both sides. We therefore expect that the Chinese side to sincerely work with us towards the objective of complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas as agreed by the Special Representatives,” he said.
Srivastava added that the normalisation process is also necessary and essential in the context of overall development of bilateral relationship between India and China.
As External Affairs Minister had noted in a recent interview “the state of the border and the future of our ties, cannot be separated,” he added.
India and China remain have engaged through both diplomatic and military channels to ensure complete disengagement along the India-China border areas, following the June 15 violent face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Eastern Ladakh.
At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the clashes with China’s PLA. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but Beijing didn’t disclose the figures.
The India-China engagement on diplomatic and military level talks is in accordance with the agreement of the Special Representatives of the two countries, the MEA spokesman said while referring to the conversation between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Several meetings of WMCC and also of Senior Commanders have taken place wherein both sides have discussed the implementation of the ongoing disengagement process and further steps to ensure it is completed at the earliest. Further meetings are likely to happen in the near future, Srivastava added.
-ARK
