Not correct to call situation at eastern Ladakh normal: MEA

Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the two countries have not reached the stage where one calls the situation at the border normal.

"We have clarified our position on the steps needed for disengagement and de-escalation. For complete normalcy at the LAC some steps are necessary, we have not at all reached at that stage," he said.

The MEA spokesperson was reacting to a recent statement by Chinese envoy Sun Weidong in which he said that the situation along the LAC is 'overall stable' and the two countries have moved to 'normalised management and control'.

"We would like the full sequences of disengagement and de-escalation to be implemented so that normalcy is restored at the border. This is required to bring in regularity and normalcy in an overall relationship," the MEA spokesperson added.

"We have not reached that stage. It would not be correct to call the situation to be normal. Some positive steps have taken place, more steps are required to be taken," he further said.

Addressing a news conference ahead of the Air Force Day, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari also said that the best benchmark for the situation along the LAC to be called normal, "would be a return to the status quo."

"That is the ideal situation that we are looking for. So far as our preparations are concerned it's a continuous effort irrespective of any belligerent action by the Chinese," he said.