India, China agree to hold next round of military talks at the earliest | India News


NEW DELHI: India and China on Thursday jointly decided to expedite the scheduling of the next senior commanders’ meeting to address lingering issues and achieve a full disengagement in eastern Ladakh.
This decision followed the recent 20th round of Corps Commander-level talks aimed at alleviating tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that both nations are committed to convening the upcoming senior commanders’ meeting promptly to fulfill their shared objective.Emphasising the importance of maintaining a stable ground situation and preventing any untoward incidents, both sides conducted a comprehensive review and engaged in an open and constructive discussion during the virtual talks.
These discussions occurred within the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). Leading the Indian delegation was Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese team was headed by the Director-General of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs in the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
During the October military talks, the Indian side advocated strongly for resolving lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok. India has consistently asserted that normalizing ties with China hinges on achieving peace in the border areas. The standoff in eastern Ladakh began on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.
Relations between the two nations saw a significant downturn after a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, marking the most serious military conflict in decades. Through a series of military and diplomatic dialogues, both sides successfully completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.
(With inputs from agencies)