Jaishanka, Yi meet in Moscow amid LAC tensions

Moscow/New Delhi, September 10

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Moscow on Thursday amid hopes of a possible breakthrough in reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The talks between the two Foreign Ministers took place in the backdrop of a massive spike in border tensions in eastern Ladakh, triggered by fresh faceoffs between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Following fresh confrontation around the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further strengthened its military presence in the region, sending additional troops, battle tanks and other weaponry. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) too has beefed up its presence in the area.

Jaishankar and Wang are in Moscow to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, at a virtual media briefing, reiterated India’s position that it was committed to resolve the current situation through peaceful negotiations.

“Both India and China are in regular touch through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the situation. This was the consensus when the two Defence Ministers met,” he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe on the margins of another SCO meet in Moscow last Friday. Apparently, the meeting did not yield any tangible outcome. PTI