Border situation in Ladakh ‘direct result’ of Chinese action to effect unilateral change in status quo: MEA

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 3

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said the tensions on the line of actual control (LAC) could only be resolved by negotiations.

“The Indian side is firmly committed to resolving all outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava at the regular media briefing when asked about the usefulness of previous rounds of military and diplomatic level talks in view of fresh tensions on the LAC.

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His comments came even as ground commanders are still holding discussions to resolve the situation. Not confirming whether External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold separate talks with his Chinese counterpart when he is in Moscow next week for the SCO Ministerial meeting, he said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was currently in Moscow for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ministerial but there was no news about separate parleys with the Chinese Defence Minister.

Squarely blaming the Chinese troops for four months of tensions on the LAC, the MEA spokesperson regretted that the net result of violations of bilateral agreements and protocol was a breach in peace in the border areas after three decades of tranquillity.

“We, therefore, strongly urge the Chinese side to sincerely engage the Indian side with the objective of expeditiously restoring the peace and tranquillity in the border areas through complete disengagement and de-escalation in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols,” he added.