Agreement reached on patrolling arrangements at LAC: MEA
Oct 21, 2024
New Delhi [India], October 21 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday that an agreement has been reached regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border area.
The information was shared ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kazan, Russia, for the 16th BRICS summit scheduled from October 22 to October 24.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the media, stating that "this agreement is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels."
He noted that military commanders have been involved in negotiations aimed at addressing the tensions that have persisted since 2020.
Misri explained that the agreement signifies a path toward disengagement and a potential resolution of the issues that arose during the significant confrontations in 2020.
He recalled the clashes that occurred between the People's Liberation Army of China and the Indian Army, particularly highlighting the violent encounters in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides.
This agreement marks a critical step in stabilizing relations between India and China, as both nations seek to manage their border disputes and prevent further military confrontations.
"On several areas along the Line of Actual Control, we held discussions with Chinese interlocutors both on diplomatic as well as the military levels through meeting with military commanders at various levels. These discussions had in the past resulted in the resolution of standoffs at various locations. There are some locations and areas where stand-offs had not been resolved," said Misri.
"Now, as a result of the discussions taking place over the last several weeks an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas. This is leading to disengagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," he added.
This agreement marks a critical step in stabilizing relations between India and China, as both nations seek to manage their border disputes and prevent further military confrontations.
In early May 2020, the troops of China's People's Liberation Army and Indian Army engaged in a melee at locations along the LAC, the disputed boundary between China and India. It escalated on June 15 -16, 2020 resulting in deaths on both sides.
