India & China conclude 13th round of Corps Commander-level talks over Ladakh standoff

The thirteenth round of Corps Commander-level talks between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh in Moldo on the Chinese side, concluded at around 7 pm on Sunday after nearly 8.5 hours of discussions. The talks began at 10.30 am on Sunday.

According to news agency ANI's Army sources, the talk aimed at discussing and resolving the military standoff in the Eastern Ladakh sector. The MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) had also said that it expects the Xi Jinping administration to work towards the early resolution of the unsolved issue along the LAC in eastern Ladakh by sticking to the bilateral agreements.

Last month, EAM S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe and discussed the progress in disengagement in eastern Ladakh.

"Both sides had agreed that a prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of the either side as it was impacting the relationship in a negative manner. EAM therefore emphasized that the two sides should work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols," the MEA had said in a press release.

The External Affairs Minister further said that the disengagement was necessary for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and for the progress of bilateral ties.

"In this regard, the Ministers agreed that military and diplomatic officials of the two sides should meet again and continue their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest," read the release.

Galwan Valley clash

Indian and Chinese troops clashed last year, resulting in the loss of lives on both sides. The conflict erupted following the transgression by China's Peoples Liberation Army in the Galwan valley. So far, 12 rounds of military talks and several diplomatic parleys have been held between New Delhi and Beijing, but the tensions still continue.

Earlier, Army Chief General MM Naravane said that the Indian Army, as a response, would maintain its presence in the region if China continues its deployment.