Border personnel meetings held in Arunachal

As part of the ongoing confidence building measures between India and China and also to give a boost to the interactions between the two armies, a Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) was held on Saturday to celebrate the 70th Republic Day.

The Indian delegation was led by Brigadier Robi Kapoor of Dao Division of the Army while the Chinese delegation was led by Senior Colonel Xu Hong Gang.

The meeting was held at Kibithu on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the delegations comprised military officials from each side, a defence statement said.

The Kibithu-Damai border meeting mechanism was started as a confidence building measure to resolve local boundary issues and has been instrumental in maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC since 2014.

The Indian delegation, while welcoming the Chinese side, expressed hope that coming together of troops from both sides would facilitate development of mutual cooperation.

The Indian Army also presented a cultural programme showcasing the rich culture and heritage of the country.

Both sides agreed that joint celebrations signified the importance attached by the two countries to enhance the trust and cooperation and hoped that such interactions will continue to foster the environment of mutual confidence and understanding.

Indo-Myanmar Post Level meetings were also held during the day between Assam Rifles and Myanmar Army at nine different locations of the North East including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram as a part of confidence building measures between India and Myanmar and in order to further consolidate the ties, another release said.

Apart from cultural programmes, both the delegations also engaged in friendly sports events.