EAM Jaishankar speaks with Chinese counterpart, review status of disengagement at LAC

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke to Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed the implementation of the Moscow Agreement between the two countries with regards to the border standoff. The two ministers also reviewed the status of disengagement in the Eastern Ladakh. 

In a bid to ease the situation on the LAC, Jaishankar and Wang Yi held a meet in Moscow, Russia at the sidelines of SCO in September. The two ministers had agreed on five points to guide their approach to the situation on the LAC, including directions to border troops to continue the dialogue, quickly disengage and maintain distance, as well as the need for new confidence-building measures.

Reiterating India's position on the border conflict, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday said India hasn't conceded any territory but prevented unilateral change in the status quo.

"India hasn't conceded any territory and prevented unilateral change in the status quo. The mutual redeployment should not be misinterpreted and there is absolutely no change with respect to our position on the Line of Actual Control," said Srivastava during a weekly press briefing.

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Disengagement at Pangong Tso

India and China have "smoothly" completed the disengagement of forces in the Pangong Lake area, Defence Ministry had said in a joint statement after the 10th round of Corps Commander Level meeting between the two Asian powers. The 10th round of commander level talks held on February 20 on the Chinese side of the Moldo/Chushul meeting point, lasted for nearly 16 hours.

The confrontation with the Chinese last year along the lines of LAC in Galwan led to the martyrdom of 20 of the Indian Army Jawans including a commanding rank officer. The violent faceoff between the two Asian powers is said to be the first in four decades. Earlier this month, both the armies agreed to disengagement from the South Pangong Tso area. China has agreed to its troop presence in the North Bank area to the east of Finger 8, while Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3.

The Indian Army earlier released short videos and photographs showing thinning down of troops and dismantling of bunkers, camps and other facilities by the Chinese military in the areas around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh in line with the agreed disengagement process between the two sides. The visuals also showed the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) using a bulldozer to flatten some structures, and vehicles with troops and equipment preparing to retreat to rear bases as part of the infantry disengagement.

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