The Indian delegation raised the issue of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) concentrating troops in eastern Ladakh when the two foreign ministers reached a five-point agreement that will guide the two countries in resolving the border confrontation in eastern Ladakh. The meeting in Moscow on Thursday night lasted two and a half hours.
Jaishankar and Wang were in the Russian capital to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
At the meeting, the Indian side highlighted its strong concern about the concentration of Chinese troops with equipment along the Royal Line of Control (LAC). The presence of such a large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Accords and created flashpoints throughout LAC. The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment.
China has deployed a large number of troops and weapons throughout LAC in recent weeks after the border clash broke out in early May.
The Indian delegation also conveyed to the Chinese side that the PLA’s provocative behavior at friction points in LAC showed its disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols.
“The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full compliance with all agreements on the management of border areas and would not approve of any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols related to the management of border areas, “said a source.
Border tie between India and China: full coverage
Jaishankar told Wang that maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas was essential for the development of ties, government sources said.
The foreign minister also conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh inevitably affected the development of the bilateral relationship.
Therefore, he told Wang that an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations, the sources said.
The Indian side insisted that the immediate task should be to ensure a complete withdrawal of troops in all areas of friction and that it was necessary to prevent any adverse incidents in the future, the sources added.
The sources said that the final disposition of the deployment of troops to their permanent posts and the phase-out process will be worked out by the military commanders of the two sides.
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