Sincerity must in settling LAC row: India

Sandeep Dikshit
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 10 

Officials from India and China on Friday agreed that it was necessary for both sides to sincerely implement the understandings reached between Senior Army Commanders. 

The 16th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) noted that Senior Army Commanders will meet soon to discuss further steps so as to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation in a timely manner. 

The Indian read out of the meeting stressed on the word “sincerity” in two key areas---first, complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and, second, de-escalation from India-China border areas.

The WMCC is a key mechanism chaired by senior diplomats from both sides to iron out the on-ground wrinkles in implementing the consensus reached between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi. In limbo for over a year, it was activated after the Galwan Valley clash. The WMCC meeting noted the importance of maintaining the ongoing communication at diplomatic and military levels and agreed to interact again in the near future.

The delegations were led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the MEA and DG of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese MFA, respectively.

A MEA statement issued after the meeting said the two sides recalled the agreement reached between the two Foreign Ministers (S Jaishankar and Wang Yi) on June 17 as well as the agreement between two Special Representatives (Ajit Doval and Wang Yi) on July 5 that it was essential to maintain “enduring” peace and tranquillity in border areas for the overall development of bilateral relations.

The meeting reviewed the progress made in the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC in the Western Sector and agreed that it was necessary for both sides to sincerely implement the understandings reached between Senior Commanders, added the Indian readout.