Top army brass reviews security in Ladakh ahead of Corps Commander talks

The top military brass on Friday reviewed the security situation in eastern Ladakh as well as strategies for the seventh round of Corps Commander-level talks with the Chinese PLA which is scheduled on October 12, people familiar with the developments said.

The Corps Commander talks are taking place with a specific agenda of firming up a roadmap for disengagement of troops from the friction points in eastern Ladakh.

The top military brass reviewed the situation in eastern Ladakh and deliberated on key issues to be flagged at the talks on Monday, the sources said.

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and several top military officials were present in the meeting.

At the talks, the two sides are also expected to look into further steps to maintain stability on the ground and avoid any action that may trigger fresh tension in the region, they said.

A senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is set to be part of the Indian delegation at the talks which will be led by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps of the Indian Army, the sources said.

Following the last round of military talks on September 21, the two sides announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

The military talks were held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

Days after the military talks, the two sides held diplomatic talks under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, but no concrete outcome emerged from the negotiation on September 30.