India, China 'agree to maintain stability on ground' in 15th round of LAC talks

File image of a village near the India-China border (Reuters)

India and China have agreed to "maintain stability on the ground", while working towards a mutually acceptable solution to resolve the dispute at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Defence Ministry said on March 12, a day after the two countries held the 15th round of military-level talks.

The Corps Commander-level meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border on the Indian side, nearly two months after the last round of talks took place. While both the countries will hold further talks to resolve the row in eastern Ladakh, it was decided to maintain the stable position in the western sector.

The two sides "agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the western sector in the interim. They agreed to maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest", the statement said.

Both, India and China, reaffirmed that such a resolution would help restore peace and tranquility along the LAC in the western sector and facilitate progress in bilateral relations, it added.

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"The two sides carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on 12th January 2022 for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the western sector. They had a detailed exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the state leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest," the Defence Ministry further said.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.

Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

With PTI inputs