NEW DELHI, Aug 8: India and China reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in border areas in Depsang and Demchok on October 21 last year leading to disengagement, and terms of the agreements reached prior to that date continue to hold in relevant areas in eastern Ladakh, the government said on Friday.
In a written response to a query in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said India and China have discussed issues related to de-escalation at various levels including that of External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister.
The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether the disengagement along the LAC, between India and China, has been in effect for the last nine months, while de-escalation remains pending, and whether a new roadmap has been formulated for achieving de-escalation.
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“India and China reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in India-China border areas in Depsang and Demchok on 21 October 2024, leading to disengagement. The agreement has since been effected and implemented as per modalities and timelines agreed,” he said.
The MoS added that the “terms of the disengagement agreements reached prior to 21 October 2024 continue to hold in relevant areas in eastern Ladakh”.
Until October 2024, India and China remained engaged to resolve issues of disengagement along the LAC through the Working Mechanism for Cooperation and Coordination (WMCC) and Senior Highest Military Commanders meeting (SHMC) mechanism, he said.
Since the disengagement in 2024, besides mechanisms to address boundary-related issues such as the India-China Special Representatives’ Talks and the WMCC, both sides have held various other meetings to stabilise and rebuild ties, with priority on people-centric engagements including the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, direct flight connectivity, transborder rivers and carried out activities to commemorate the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, the government said.
“Since last year, meetings have been held between the Prime Minister, Raksha Mantri, External Affairs Minister, National Security Advisor, Foreign Secretary and their Chinese counterparts,” Singh said.
Issues related to restrictive trade measures and roadblocks to economic cooperation have been raised by the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary with their counterparts. Discussions on these matters have also been held at the working level, he added. (PTI)
