[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: Indian and Chinese foreign ministers agreed to convene an early meeting of military commanders to “seek a mutually acceptable solution” to the outstanding issues on the LAC in the western sector while refraining from any unilateral action that could escalate the military stand-off.
On Wednesday, foreign minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that troops should complete the disengagement at the LAC “at the earliest” and that the unsettled situation has cast a negative light on the entire bilateral relationship.
After an hour-long meeting between Jaishankar and Wang Yi in Dushanbe on the sidelines of an SCO meeting on Afghanistan, the Indian minister tweeted, “Highlighted that unilateral change of status quo is not acceptable. Full restoration and maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is essential for development of our ties.”
The reiteration of the Indian position, despite the Chinese reluctance to complete disengagement in Ladakh, was reaffirmed by an official statement by the MEA which said, “there was also an understanding that both sides will continue to ensure stability on the ground and neither side will take any unilateral action that could increase tension.”
The situation remains tense in several areas in eastern Ladakh, particularly Gogra-Hot Springs. There is also the “legacy” issue of the Depsang plains where Indian troops have been prevented from patrolling. After an agreement on disengagement at Pangong Tso, there has been no further progress. The last round of military commanders’ talks on June 25 too did not break the deadlock. It was believed then that the issue would have to be escalated to the political level, which resulted in Wednesday’s meeting.
In his meeting, Jaishankar said the border situation was “visibly impacting the relationship in a negative manner.” China’s attempts to “change the status quo” in the border areas “disregarded commitments… agreements have inevitably affected ties.”
On Wednesday, foreign minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that troops should complete the disengagement at the LAC “at the earliest” and that the unsettled situation has cast a negative light on the entire bilateral relationship.
After an hour-long meeting between Jaishankar and Wang Yi in Dushanbe on the sidelines of an SCO meeting on Afghanistan, the Indian minister tweeted, “Highlighted that unilateral change of status quo is not acceptable. Full restoration and maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is essential for development of our ties.”
The reiteration of the Indian position, despite the Chinese reluctance to complete disengagement in Ladakh, was reaffirmed by an official statement by the MEA which said, “there was also an understanding that both sides will continue to ensure stability on the ground and neither side will take any unilateral action that could increase tension.”
The situation remains tense in several areas in eastern Ladakh, particularly Gogra-Hot Springs. There is also the “legacy” issue of the Depsang plains where Indian troops have been prevented from patrolling. After an agreement on disengagement at Pangong Tso, there has been no further progress. The last round of military commanders’ talks on June 25 too did not break the deadlock. It was believed then that the issue would have to be escalated to the political level, which resulted in Wednesday’s meeting.
In his meeting, Jaishankar said the border situation was “visibly impacting the relationship in a negative manner.” China’s attempts to “change the status quo” in the border areas “disregarded commitments… agreements have inevitably affected ties.”
[ad_2]
Source
