New Delhi, June 9
The Foreign Office on Thursday said multiple rounds of talks with China had led to some progress in resolving the issue on the line of actual control (LAC).
“We will maintain our dialogue to resolve the issue. Another round of senior military commanders will be held soon. It is our expectation that the Chinese side will work with the Indian side to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the remaining issues given that both sides also agree that prolongation is not in the interest of either side or the development of bilateral relations,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing here.
Baghci said in the current situation, India has maintained continuous communication with the Chinese side at multiple levels. “There have been 15 rounds of senior commander meetings and 10 rounds of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India China border. We have also maintained communications at the level of Foreign Minister and NSA. This has led to some progress and both sides have successfully disengaged in some areas,” he added.
Bagchi was asked to react to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian stating that the situation in the border areas is “stabilising on the whole and the frontline forces from both countries have realised disengagement in most areas along the western section”.
Zhao was in turn reacting to US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn terming the situation in eastern Ladakh as “alarming” and asked Washington not to “pour fuel over fire” as “this border issue is between China and India (and) the two sides have the will and capability to properly resolve the issue through talks”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his Europe visit last week had said, “We have a difficult relationship with China and we are perfectly capable of managing it.”
Bagchi said India carefully monitors developments along its border areas including the construction of infrastructure by the Chinese side in the western sector. “The government is committed to and takes all adequate and appropriate measures to safeguard territorial integrity and sovereignty as the developments in recent years have clearly demonstrated,” he added.
The Government has taken various measures in recent years to develop infrastructure along the border areas to not only meet India’s strategic and security requirements but also facilitate the economic developments of these areas.
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