In order to continue to maintain “close consultations at the diplomatic and military level,” both sides have agreed to hold 7th round meeting of Senior Commanders at an early date so that an “Early and complete disengagement” of the troops along the LAC in accordance with the existing bilateral agreement and protocols could be worked out.
The two sides “Positively evaluated the outcome of the 6th Senior Commanders meeting held on 21 September and emphasized the need to strengthen communication, especially between the ground commanders” stated a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the senior commander meeting, both sides had agreed to “Strengthen communication on the ground, avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments, stop sending more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation”. The two sides also agreed to take “practical measures to properly solve problems on the ground, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border area,” said a government statement
The 19th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on Wednesday. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs while the Director-General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation.
On Wednesday’s meeting, the two sides also attached importance to the meetings between the two Defence Ministers and the two Foreign Ministers held earlier this month. “They also noted that the agreement between the two Foreign Ministers should be sincerely implemented to ensure disengagement at all the friction points along the LAC,” said the press statement.
-Abhishek Jha