India and China have agreed to resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in an “expeditious manner” as they concluded their 19th round of Commander Level meetings, which spanned for two days.
According to a joint press release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides had a “positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.”
“In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, they exchanged views in an open and forward looking manner. They agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through military and diplomatic channels,” further read the presser.
The joint release also mentioned that India and China agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas, during the military talks. The two-day talks were held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on August 13-14.
The two countries are indulged in a military impasse for the last three years since May 2020, when the Chinese tried to aggressively alter the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The latest round of military talks provided no breakthrough, similar to April 23 when the militaries of the two countries held the 18th round of high-level talks to resolve issues at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.
The 17th round of military talks was held on December 20. Following the dialogue, the two sides, in a joint statement, said they exchanged views in an “open and constructive” manner to resolve the “relevant issues” and that it was agreed to maintain “security and stability” on the ground in the region.
The Corps Commander-level talks were instituted to resolve the eastern Ladakh row. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area, following which the ties between the two countries nosedived and marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.
