Corps commanders of India and China will hold their 7th round of talks on 12 October to discuss modalities for disengagement and de-escalation in eastern Ladakh to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas between the two countries.
The two sides are expected to review the situation in the border areas against the backdrop of a five-point consensus reached between their foreign ministers in Moscow recently on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, sources said today.
The 6th round of meeting between Indian and Chinese commanders had taken place on 21 September after which both sides for the first time issued a joint statement which called for “earnestly” implementing the “important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries”. They had also agreed to “stop sending more troops to the frontline”.
Lt Gen Harinder Singh and Lt Gen P G K Menon, who represented the army headquarters, took part in the 6th rounds of talks. Lt Gen Menon is set to replace Lt Gen Singh as the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps soon.
Last week, the 19th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) took place between senior diplomats of the two countries. The diplomats had agreed to strengthen communication between ground commanders at the Line of Actual Control to “avoid misunderstandings and to maintain stability on the ground.”
A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on the meet said both sides “noted that the agreement between the two foreign ministers should be sincerely implemented to ensure disengagement at all the friction points along the LAC.”