Binoo Joshi
JK NEWS TODAY
Jammu
India and China will hold their next Corps Commander level talks in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh on Monday morning, according to the informed sources, who said that the military delegations will seek to resolve the issues within the parameters laid out by the foreign ministers of the two countries in Moscow on September 10.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on the side lines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to break the ice on the continuing military standoff Indian troops and PLA men since May, during which they had violently clashes in Galwan valley on June 15/16.
The two ministers had agreed on a five-point formula to ease the situation . Since then, the wait had been going on for the resumption of the military commander level talks who had been interacting with each other since June . Sources said that the Corps Commanders will meet tomorrow to carry forward their talks and look for the disengagement and de-escalation .
It is for the first time that the talks will revolve around the five points that Beijing and Delhi had agreed in Moscow on September 10- the foreign ministers had come close on the heels of the defence ministers’ meeting in the Russian capital on September 5. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghi had met for 140 minutes while deliberating over the tense standoff in Eastern Ladakh.
The points agreed by the Foreign Ministers form the framework that would guide the military level talks on Monday are :
1 The two Ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes.
2. The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions.
3. The two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.
4. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings.
5. The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
