Won't allow any change in LAC status quo: Jaishankar in Paris

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 23

India is engaged in talks with China on the eastern Ladakh border standoff with absolute clarity that it will not agree to any change in the status quo or any attempt to unilaterally alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at an interactive session with a think tank in Paris.

Optimistic about resolving the issue through dialogue and maintaining that significant headway has been made in many of the friction points, he said, “We are absolutely clear that we will not agree to any change in the status quo. Any attempt to change the LAC unilaterally by one side. So however complex it is, however long it takes, however difficult it is, I think that clarity is what guides us.”

Aiming for Disengagement

We will carry on with this and disengagement is right now the goal. It is only when disengagement happens that we can start talking about de-escalation. — S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister

There are some friction points that still remain to be resolved. It has its complexity because these are areas where there are claims and then there are various military considerations which become the subject of the conversation,” he said.

“India’s aim is to achieve disengagement and rather than optimism, it is crucial to have perseverance. Believe me, I have got those qualities in reasonable measure and my system has it in the reasonable measure which is more important. We will carry on with this and disengagement is right now the goal. Because it is only when disengagement happens we can then start talking about de-escalation,” he added.

The military and diplomatic talks have led to the two sides completing the disengagement process in Gogra and south banks of the Pangong lake last year.