Following a fresh round of India-China corps commander level meeting, both sides have agreed to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground in border areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Ministry of External Affairs Issues a Statement
According to an official statement issued today (Feb 21, 2024), the 21st round of the India-China corps commander level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on February 19, located in the Leh district of Ladakh.
The statement also said that the discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.
Adding, both sides during the talks shared their perspectives on the matter in the talks held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. “The two sides have agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. They also committed to maintain peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas in the interim,” the MEA added.
Outcome
At the end of talks there did not seem to be any clear forward movement in resolving the more than three and a half years of stand off between the forces of both sides at a number of friction points.
Outstanding Issues
In the previous rounds of discussion between the two sides, the Indian side has strongly pushed for resolution of issues at the twin friction points – Demchok and Depsang.
During the discussions between the two sides, the focus from India was on pushing for complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. This is seen as important in an effort to restore peace and tranquillity in the India-China border regions.
At the meeting held earlier this week, the two sides have agreed to keep the communication open through the military and diplomatic channels and in the interim the two have pledged to uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground.
The 20th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was convened at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side last year.
Since the commencement of the Corps Commander-level talks in 2020, both India and China have successfully enabled disengagement from five friction points including: Galwan, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and Patrolling Points (PP) 15 and 17A in the Gogra-Hot Springs area. For normalising bilateral relations with China, India has been insisting on resolving the standoff between the armies of both sides.