NEW DELHI: India on Thursday reiterated that maintenance of peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was the basis of bilateral relations with China and said it expected Beijing to be sincere in ensuring the complete disengagement of troops in Ladakh.
“The maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is the basis of our bilateral relationship. Therefore it is our expectation that the Chinese side will sincerely work with us for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas at the earliest as agreed to by the Special Representatives,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
Srivastava said that a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) is expected to take place soon. The decision to disengage from the LAC came after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley area.
Following the incident, four rounds of corps commander level talks were held and a dialogue between the special representatives - National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi - was held on July 5 after which the disengagement process began.
“We have also made it clear that India is fully committed to observing and respecting the LAC and that we will not accept any unilateral attempts to change the status quo along LAC,” MEA spokesperson said.
He said the two sides have agreed during the conversation of the Special Representatives to work towards complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity.