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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Monday that India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border areas. This agreement marks a crucial step towards disengagement and resolution of the issues that have persisted since 2020.
Addressing a press conference, Misri highlighted the extensive diplomatic and military negotiations that have taken place over the past few weeks. Misri stated that “Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums”. These discussions have culminated in an agreement that aims to ease tensions along the disputed border.
The agreement focuses on patrolling arrangements along the LAC, which is a poorly defined border between the two countries stretching approximately 3,440 kilometers (2,100 miles). Misri emphasized that this agreement would lead to disengagement and address the issues that arose following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
“India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in border areas leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020 and we will be taking the next steps on this,” he said.
Further talks expected at BRICS Summit
The announcement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Kazan, Russia, for the BRICS summit. It is anticipated that Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, further discussing the agreement and other bilateral issues.
Relations between India and China have been strained since 2020, following violent clashes along the LAC that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers. The ongoing conflict stems from the disputed frontier, which has become a point of contention for both nations as they seek to enhance infrastructure in the region.
Galwan Valley Clash
On the night of June 15, 2020, a violent skirmish broke out between Indian and Chinese soldiers, the first in the Ladakh valley since 1962 Indo-China War. The clash was notable for its brutality and the fact that not a single shot was fired; instead, troops fought with sticks, stones, and makeshift weapons. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers, with reports suggesting at least four Chinese fatalities.
During a visit to a think tank in Switzerland this September, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar provided a positive update on the disengagement talks. He noted that significant progress had been made in de-escalating the situation since the Galwan Valley clashes but acknowledged that “work was still to be done.” Jaishankar explained, “We have now been negotiating close to four years and the first step of that is what we called disengagement, which is their troops go back to their normal operating bases and our troops go back to their normal operating bases.”
The agreement on patrolling arrangements is a pivotal move towards stabilizing the border situation. Both nations are expected to continue their efforts to maintain peace and stability along the LAC, with further discussions likely to take place during the BRICS summit.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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