India and China held yet another round of military talks on the disengagement process in remaining friction points in Eastern Ladakh.
The 11th round of talks between the Corps Commanders of India and China and China was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh on Friday.
The Indian delegation was led by Lieutenant General PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. Though the two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual concern and agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols, the meeting did not result in an agreement of a full disengagement in other friction points as expected.
On Saturday the Ministry of Defence stated, “In this context, it was also highlighted that completion of disengagement in other areas would pave the way for two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquility and enable progress in bilateral relations.” Ministry of Defence further said both sides would continue their communication and dialogue and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.
The disengagement process would have allowed both sides to retreat to their original positions and bring normalcy and peace to the area.
The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries began in May last year following a violent clash near the Pangong lake area in Ladakh. The two sides enhanced their military presence in the area by rushing in thousands of soldiers.
A series of military and diplomatic talks led to the withdrawal of troops and weapons of both sides from the North and South banks of the Pangong Lake in February. Since then India has been insisting on the disengagement process in the remaining friction points such as Hot Springs, Gogra, and Depsang in Eastern Ladakh.
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