New Delhi, Mar 12: The fresh round of India China Corps Commander Level talks held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Friday ended in a stalemate and the two sides couldn’t agree to resolve the remaining areas of friction in Eastern Ladakh.
The joint statement issued by the two sides said that they “agreed to maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.”
Sources said that the Indian side pressed for disengagement at Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra Hot Springs area but the two sides couldn’t find a mutually agreeable solution in the meeting.
The joint statement said the “two sides carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on 12th January 2022 for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.” It further said that both sides had a detailed exchange of views, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.
“The two sides reaffirmed that such a resolution would help restore peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector and facilitate progress in bilateral relations,” the joint statement said.
The two sides also agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector in the interim, the statement said. Before the 15th round of meeting, sources in the defence establishment said that “recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive.”
More than 50,000 soldiers continue to be deployed on both sides of the Line of Actual Control. Altering the May 2020 status, the PLA has also carried out construction of infrastructure near the LAC to ensure long survival of troops in the high altitude area.
