India and China have agreed that another meeting of senior commanders may be held soon to work out steps to ensure full disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday, 24 July, after talks at the diplomatic level were held on the same day to resolve the ongoing border dispute.
The 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on Friday, with the Indian delegation led by the joint secretary (East Asia) from the MEA, and Chinese one led by the director general of Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"They reviewed the situation in India-China border areas and ongoing disengagement process along LAC in the western sector. They agreed that complete disengagement of troops and de-escalation as per bilateral agreement was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations... The two sides also agreed that full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for... development of bilateral relations.
They also agreed to maintain their ongoing engagements at diplomatic and military level, including through the meetings of WMCC," the MEA said in a statement.
They agreed that it is necessary to sincerely implement the understandings reached between senior commanders in meetings, the MEA further said, days after the fourth round of military talks between the two countries took place on 14 July.
While tensions between the two countries began to emerge in early May, they escalated when the Galwan Valley clash took place on 15 July, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. Since then, reports have pointed out to disengagement taking place in some of the areas in Ladakh. However, the impasse continues in a few other areas.
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