Complete disengagement along LAC requires 're-deployment of troops' by each side, says India

"As you know last week, the 18th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) took place.  During the meeting the two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the existing situation in the India-China border areas," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during a virtual media briefing.

Both sides have reaffirmed that the two sides will continue to sincerely work towards complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector in accordance with the agreements reached between the two Foreign Ministers and the two Special Representatives (SRs) during their conversation on July 5th, he informed.

"As I had conveyed earlier, complete disengagement requires re-deployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the LAC. It is natural that this can be done only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions," Srivastava said.

Srivastava said it is important to bear in mind that achieving this requires agreed actions by both sides.

In this context, in the last meeting of the WMCC the two sides have agreed to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner and in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols.

"Both sides also agree that full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas would be essential for the overall development of bilateral relations. The two sides had also agreed to continue their engagements both through diplomatic and military channels," he confirmed.

"I would also refer you to the recent interview of External Affairs Minister wherein referring to various past border incidents he had noted that what was common was that all borders situations were resolved through diplomacy," Srivastava added.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Wu Qian in a statement available with media said India and China need to avoid misjudgement and keep divergences from escalating into disputes.

"Bearing in mind the big picture of bilateral ties and putting the border issue in an appropriate position in this big picture, India and China need to avoid misjudgement, keep divergences from escalating into disputes, and take concrete steps to bring bilateral relations back to the right track of normal development," Wu said in the statement.

On the intervening night of June 15-16, the People’s Liberation Army assault team reportedly armed with iron rods and baton wrapped in barbed wire attacked the Indian soldiers when the neighbouring Army’s unit refused to vacate the disputed site.

20 Indian personnel were martyred during the clash which took place at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.