New Delhi: India and China held “candid and constructive” talks during the 12th round of talks in the Ladakh sector and both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the statement issued on August 2 after the Corps Commander Level Meeting was a joint statement. The talks were held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side.
“As was mentioned therein, the talks were candid and constructive. Both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with existing agreements and protocols, and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations,” he said, adding that further updates would be shared once they had it.
According to the joint statement issued on August 2: “The two sides noted that this round of meeting was constructive, which further enhanced mutual understanding. They agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations.”
The two sides also agreed that in the interim they will “continue their effective efforts in ensuring stability along the LAC in the Western Sector and jointly maintain peace and tranquility”.
India and China have been locked in a border row for more than a year, which also saw the deadly skirmish in the Galwan Valley last year, and heightened tensions between the two armies on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.
The corps commander-ranked officers had earlier met on April 9, when the Indian Army told the PLA that disengagement at all friction points on the disputed border was crucial for the de-escalation of the conflict.
