KATHMANDU: India and China have agreed to quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the border areas which have often become flashpoints for the two countries.
Following a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, the two countries agreed to not allow differences between them to become disputes.
The joint statement between the two Foreign Ministers comes in the wake of growing tensions between the two Asian nuclear powers over their long-disputed Himalayan border.
According to a five-point joint statement detailing what the two Foreign Ministers agreed following “frank and constructive discussion on the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on India-China relations,” the two ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from a consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations.
“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,” read the joint statement.
“The two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters,” it added.
The two sides also agreed to continue to hold dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question, according to the statement. “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 tranquility in the border area,” it added.
The five-point agreement between the foreign ministers of the two countries is expected to deescalate the standoff between troops at the Line of Actual Control for nearly four months.
Earlier on June 15, at least 23 Indian soldiers were killed in a brutal hand-to-hand-brawl between the soldiers of two countries in the Galwan Valley. India claims that there were casualties among the Chinese as well. China has neither confirmed nor denied any death of its soldiers.
While there has not been any report of border altercation after the Galwan Valley incident, the tension between the two countries has not eased.
