India-China to discuss further disengagement in Ladakh

The 11th round of talks between India and China is underway at Chushul BPO in eastern Ladakh in the India side. Corps Commanders of both the countries are to discuss disengagement from the remaining friction points in the region. After February 20, the Army Commanders are meeting on Friday (April 9) for the first time.

The Indian side is being headed by Leh-based 14 Corps commenader Lt Gen PGK Menon. Earlier in February, the 10th round of Corps Commander-level talks between the two Armies resulted in first disengagement process from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.

At the last meeting, which happened at Moldo in China, the two armies agreed for disengagement process from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso. The two sides retraced their steps to deeper inside their respective territories with the intention to avoid confrontation and ensure peace and tranquility as had broadly been agreed in an earlier meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

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It was in February 11 this year that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that a major breakthrough was achieved between India and China in eastern Ladakh with both the sides initiating disengagement of troops from the southern and northern sides of Lake Pangong under a mutually agreed process.

Singh made a statement about the ground situation in eastern Ladakh on the floor of the House to assert that India has strongly put across a message to China that it would not allow anyone to take even an inch of its land and that the Indian defence forces have been firmly protecting the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country along the LAC.

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The two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of front line troops in the Pangong Lake area noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in western sector, a senior army official said.