Sincerity must to fix LAC row: India

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 10

Officials from India and China on Friday agreed that it was necessary for both sides to sincerely implement the understandings reached between senior Army commanders.

The 16th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) noted that senior Army commanders will meet soon to discuss further steps so as to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation in a timely manner.

The Indian readout of the meeting laid stress on the word “sincerity” in two key areas: one, complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and, two, de-escalation from the India-China border areas.

The WMCC is a key mechanism chaired by senior diplomats from both sides to iron out the on-ground wrinkles in implementing the consensus reached between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi. In limbo for over a year, it was activated after the Galwan valley clash. The WMCC meeting noted the importance of maintaining the ongoing communication.

The delegations were led by the Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the MEA and the DG of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese MFA, respectively.

An MEA statement issued after the meeting said the two sides recalled the agreement reached between the two Foreign Ministers (S Jaishankar and Wang Yi) on June 17 that it was essential to maintain “enduring” peace in border areas.