Ladakh standoff: India and China agree to continue disengagement work

However, there was no indication of any breakthrough in the standoff at the virtual talks held under framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs

India and China on Friday agreed to continue work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops in all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh at the "earliest" as the two sides held a fresh round of diplomatic talks on the over seven-month long border standoff.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was also agreed at the talks that the next round of military dialogue should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards an early and complete disengagement of troops in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.

 

However, there was no indication of any breakthrough in the standoff at the virtual talks held under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.

"The two sides agreed that based on the guidance provided by senior leaders and the agreements reached between the two foreign ministers and special representatives, they would continue to work towards ensuring complete disengagement in all friction points along the LAC in the Western sector at the earliest," the MEA said in a statement.

China on its part described the talks as "candid" with an "in-depth exchange" of views on the situation along the LAC, and noted that it was agreed to "earnestly implement" the five-point consensus reached between the foreign ministers of the two countries at a meeting in Moscow in September.