The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Saturday said that verification patrolling has begun in the Demchok and Depsang areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, following the agreement between India and China reached on October 21.
Speaking at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India and China had finalised the last phase of disengagement in these regions. "On October 21, 2024, the final phase of disengagement was agreed upon between India and China. As a result, verification patrolling has commenced on mutually agreed terms in Demchok and Depsang. We will keep you updated," he said.
The agreement follows a diplomatic breakthrough, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping holding bilateral talks for the first time in five years during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
Earlier, foreign secretary Vikram Misri noted that the disengagement plan was achieved through extensive diplomatic and military-level discussions with Chinese representatives over recent weeks. He said, "This agreement is the outcome of comprehensive discussions with Chinese interlocutors at diplomatic and military levels. It signifies a pathway toward disengagement and resolving the issues that emerged during the confrontations in 2020."
The LAC dispute between India and China has been a source of prolonged tension, particularly following the violent 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which led to casualties on both sides and marked the most serious border conflict between the two nations in decades.
Both armies remain heavily deployed across the 3,488 km LAC, with significant troop presence and armaments stationed in Ladakh and other border regions. In addition, around 90,000 PLA troops are also stationed in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, with "matching mirror deployments" by India.
Speaking at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India and China had finalised the last phase of disengagement in these regions. "On October 21, 2024, the final phase of disengagement was agreed upon between India and China. As a result, verification patrolling has commenced on mutually agreed terms in Demchok and Depsang. We will keep you updated," he said.
The agreement follows a diplomatic breakthrough, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping holding bilateral talks for the first time in five years during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
Earlier, foreign secretary Vikram Misri noted that the disengagement plan was achieved through extensive diplomatic and military-level discussions with Chinese representatives over recent weeks. He said, "This agreement is the outcome of comprehensive discussions with Chinese interlocutors at diplomatic and military levels. It signifies a pathway toward disengagement and resolving the issues that emerged during the confrontations in 2020."
The LAC dispute between India and China has been a source of prolonged tension, particularly following the violent 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which led to casualties on both sides and marked the most serious border conflict between the two nations in decades.
Both armies remain heavily deployed across the 3,488 km LAC, with significant troop presence and armaments stationed in Ladakh and other border regions. In addition, around 90,000 PLA troops are also stationed in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, with "matching mirror deployments" by India.
You may also like
An independent investigation by a central agency launched into mysterious deaths of 10 elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Indian Navy airlifts critically ill seafarer from merchant vessel
'Has he developed diabetes?': Misa Bharti on PM Modi's unfulfilled promise to revive Bihar's sugar industry
Vantara to welcome 3 African elephants from Tunisia to experience new life of care and compassion
Passengers' fury over nine-hour "flight to nowhere"
