India has stated that it would like to be disengaged from the remaining points of contention. Ahead of another round of high-level military talks with China, India said on Thursday that it would like to see disengagement at remaining points of friction in eastern Ladakh, which could lead to the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the border and create conditions for the advancement of overall bilateral ties.
According to sources, the Indian side will address outstanding issues, including those in Depsang, Hot Springs, and Gogra, during the talks. The 11th round of Corps Commander talks is set to begin at 10.30 a.m. on Friday at the Chushul border point in eastern Ladakh, on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The tenth round of military talks took place on February 20, two days after the armies of the two countries agreed to withdraw troops and weapons from the north and south banks of Pangong Lake. The discussions lasted approximately 16 hours.
Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stressed the importance of disengagement in the remaining areas of eastern Ladakh during a media briefing on Thursday. “We would like to see disengagement in the remaining areas, which would lead to de-escalation in eastern Ladakh, which would hopefully lead to the restoration of peace and tranquillity, as well as provide conditions for the advancement of the peace process.”
Lt Gen P G K Menon, Commander of the 14 Corps based in Leh, will lead the Indian delegation to the talks on Friday.
Meanwhile, China stated that it believes India’s proposal to restore the status quo of April 2020 in eastern Ladakh should be discussed in bilateral meetings. It also stated that there will be no delay in holding talks with India to discuss the withdrawal of troops from the remaining flashpoints in eastern Ladakh. At a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian denied any postponement of the 11th round of talks. His response came when he was reminded that it had been about two months since the first disengagement.
