Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to expedite the border troops disengagement and de-escalation in western sector of Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Kwatra said the prime minister held a conversation with President Jinping on the sidelines of BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. During the conversation, the prime minister highlighted India’s concerns at the unresolved issues along the LAC in western sector of the India -China border.

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PM Modi told the Chinese President that respecting the Line of Actual Control was essential in normalisation of India-China bilateral relations.

“The two leaders agreed to direct relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation,” the foreign secretary added.

TV visuals showed the two leaders indulged in what looked like a brief and informal interaction. The conversation between Modi and Xi took place soon after member countries agreed to allow the expansion of BRICS. The grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa invited Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia to join.

This was the second such conversation between PM Modi and President Jinping since the May 2020 standoff. The two leaders had discussed the border issues on the sidelines of last year’s G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The bilateral relations between India and China, the two powerful Asian neighbours have always been marred by border disputes. The 2020 border standoff brought the two nuclear-armed nations almost to the brink of a full-fledged war. However, several rounds of diplomatic and corps-commander-level talks de-escalated the situation but several issues remained unresolved.

So far, disengagement of troops has only taken place in areas like Galwan Valley and around the Pangong Tso lake. However, China is not yet ready to restore the status quo in the border area that was before the 2020 standoff.

While both countries have been reiterating their commitment to peacefully resolve their border issues through dialogue and diplomacy, China’s unreasonable claims on Indian territory are slowing the progress.