'Disengagement Means Disengagement, Nothing More’: Jaishankar on LAC Progress

New Delhi: disengagement part of "problem" with China along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Lakh has been dressed with last month's understanding and next focus would be on de-escalation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Jaishankar described as a "reasonable supposition" to expect some improvement in relations between India and China following last round of disengagement but hesitated to say that re could be a reset of ties.

"I see disengagement as disengagement; nothing more, nothing less. If you look at our current situation with China, we have an issue where our troops are uncomfortably close along Line of Actual Control (LAC) which required us to disengage," he said at Hindustan Times Leership Summit.

"And this last understanding of October 21 is last one of disengagement agreements. So with its implementation disengagement part of problem is dressed," he said.

Jaishankar's remarks came in response to a question on wher disengagement of troops by two sides last month was beginning of a reset of ties between India and China.

external affairs minister said current situation of relationship does not warrant such a conclusion.

Indian and Chinese militaries completed disengagement exercise in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Lakh along LAC last month after two sides reached an agreement to resolve festering border row.

two sides also resumed patrolling activities in two areas after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.

In his remarks, Jaishankar said de-escalation would be next step following disengagement process.

"Where disengagement will le us, it is a reasonable supposition that re will be some improvement in ties," he said at same time.

On overall India-China ties, Jaishankar delved into various factors and said is a "complicated" relationship.

To a separate question, external affairs minister said world is looking at India's political stability, especially at a time when most countries in world are facing political instability.

"At such a time, being elected three times in a row in a democracy is not an ordinary thing," he said about result of parliamentary elections this year.

On Republican leer Donald Trump 's victory in US presidential election, Jaishankar said it reflected a lot about US.

"This US election tells us a lot about America. It tells us that many of concerns and priorities that won Donald Trump a first term have become more intense, not gone away," he said.

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)