The 11th round of Corps Commander talks are under way between India and China to work out an agreement for the second phase of disengagement in Eastern Ladakh. Talks were still on at the time of going to print.
Also read: India, China Foreign Ministers to establish hotline
The talks began around 10:30 a.m. at Chushul in Eastern Ladakh, a defence source said.
The focus of the talks is for disengagement from Patrolling Points (PP) at Gogra and Hot Springs.
In February, the two sides completed the first phase of disengagement on the north and the south banks of Pangong Tso based on a written agreement. The 10th round was held within 48 hours after the process was completed where both sides agreed to push for a mutually acceptable solution of the remaining issues in a “steady and orderly” manner to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
Pangong Tso has been the major issue since the standoff began last May after the Chinese troops made ingress into Indian territory at several locations in Eastern Ladakh. With Pangong Tso having been resolved, the focus now is to work out a phased disengagement plan for the other friction areas. They include Gogra, Hot Springs, Depsang and Demchok. After this, the de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would be taken up to pull back the thousands of troops deployed by both sides.
