India, China hold fresh round of military talks over tensions along LAC in Eastern Ladakh
NEW DELHI: India and China agreed to maintain "peace and tranquillity" on the ground in border areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh during a fresh round of high-level military talks earlier this week.
The 21st round of the India-China Corps commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on February 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
However, there was no clear forward movement at Monday's talks in resolution of the more than three-and-a-half-year lingering row at a number of friction points, people familiar with the matter said.
"The discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas," it said in a statement.
The MEA said the two sides shared their perspectives on the matter in the talks held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.
"The two sides have agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms," it said.
"They also committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas in the interim," the MEA added.
Earlier, the 20th round of Corps Commander-level talks was held at Chushul as part of the ongoing efforts for overall disengagement and de-escalation to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on October 9–10.
Earlier last month, India, while reiterating its long-standing position on China, said the two countries would continue to engage on the diplomatic and military sides for some sort of resolution.
"India's position on China is very well known. It is a relationship, which is not normal, but we have had dialogues both on the military side and on the diplomatic side in October and November. And the idea is that we engage so that we can have some sort of resolution," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing last Thursday.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)