The stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh has been ?resolved?, and both sides would retreat to old positions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by the end of this month, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced after a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the United Nations on Thursday.
Hours later, by Friday afternoon India time, nearly ?half? the Chinese troops camping along the LAC in the 16-day stand-off had withdrawn. Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi said going by the pace of the disengagement, the process was likely to be completed well before month end.
In Beijing, China?s foreign ministry said the two countries can now work towards maintaining ?peace in the border areas?.
?I am happy to tell you that both nations (India and China) have sat down and resolved the (LAC standoff) issue. Timelines have been decided,? Swaraj told Indian reporters after a meeting with IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
Swaraj said she had met with Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi at the United Nations, and discussed the stand-off with him. Swaraj described the resolution of the matter as a ?big accomplishment?.
Troops from the two sides lined up in Chumar in a face-off that began earlier in the month, casting, Swaraj said, a ?shadow? over the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India, which was otherwise ?very historical? and saw ?very good outcomes?.
Swaraj said the withdrawal of the troops would begin on Friday and, by September 30, both sides would return to their September 1, 2014 positions along the LAC.
Read more: China cloud clears, back to old LAC positions soon…
