India, China agree on need to find early resolution to remaining border disputes

New Delhi: India and China have agreed on the need to find early resolution to the remaining disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

The ministry said that both the countries agreed on the need to find an early resolution while fully abiding by the bilateral agreements and protocols so as to restore peace and tranquility in the region.

"The two sides also agreed that both sides should in the interim continue to ensure a stable ground situation and avoid any untoward incident," the ministry said after the 23rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), whic was held on Thursday.

The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs. The Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation.

The two sides recalled the agreement reached between the Indian External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Minister of China during their meeting in September in Dushanbe that military and diplomatic officials of the two sides should continue their discussions to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

Accordingly, the two sides had candid and in-depth discussions on the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and also reviewed the developments since the last meeting of the senior commanders of both sides which held on October 10.

It was agreed that both sides should hold the next 14th round of senior commanders' meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all the friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.

India and China are engaged in a border dispute for 19 months now.