The ministry of external affairs on Friday gave details of the conversation between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the previous day.
The conversation came days after both sides announced their armies had disengaged forces from the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh. Jaishankar had tweeted on Thursday, "Spoke to State Councillor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi this afternoon. Discussed the implementation of our Moscow Agreement and reviewed the status of disengagement."
A five-point agreement to end the standoff in Ladakh was arrived at between Jaishankar and Wang at a meeting in Moscow last September on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave. The pact included measures like a quick disengagement of troops, avoiding actions that could escalate tension, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.
In a press release on Friday, the ministry of external affairs stated Jaishankar and Wang spoke for 75 minutes and discussed the situation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and issues related to the overall bilateral relationship.
The MEA said Jaishankar had referred to the adverse impact on the relationship from the transgressions last year. "He noted that the bilateral relations have been impacted severely over last year. EAM (external affairs minister) said that Boundary Question may take time to resolve but disturbance of peace and tranquillity including by violence, will inevitably have a damaging impact on the relationship," the press release said.
Jaishankar noted India and China were in "continuous communication since then through both the diplomatic and military channels. This had led to progress as both sides had successfully disengaged in the Pangong Tso Lake area earlier this month".
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Jaishankar also emphasised the need to focus on remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh after the completion of the Pangong disengagement. "EAM said that once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards restoration of peace and tranquillity," the press release said. Jaishankar noted, "It was necessary to disengage at all friction points in order to contemplate de-escalation of forces in this sector. That alone will lead to the restoration of peace and tranquillity and provide conditions for progress of our bilateral relationship."
Wang Yi expressed satisfaction at the progress made in resolving the standoff and called it an "important step forward for restoration of peace and tranquillity in border areas". Wang Yi also noted that the “Indian side had proposed ‘three mutuals’ (mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests) as the approach to the relationship. He also agreed on the importance of taking the long view of our ties.”
