New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed parliament on Friday (November 29) that the patrolling arrangement agreement with China, reached a month ago for Depsang and Demchok, has been “implemented,” while the terms of disengagement at earlier friction points in Eastern Ladakh border stand-off remain unchanged.
From April-May 2020, Indian and Chinese troops had been at a stand-off at multiple points of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, sparking several clashes including a hand-to-hand fight in June that claimed the lives of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.
Following multiple rounds of diplomatic and military negotiations, disengagement was achieved at around four friction points, resulting in the establishment of ‘buffer zones’.
However, progress on resolving the two remaining points at Depsang and Demchok had remained elusive, till last month.
On October 21, India first announced that a “patrolling agreement” had been finalised for these two last friction points. Two days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first formal talks in five years in Kazan, Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
Since then, the foreign and defence ministers of both countries have met twice in separate engagements to advance the process of normalising ties.
Earlier on November 2, India had said that “verification patrolling” had commenced in Depsang and Demchok.
The Chinese defence ministry said on Thursday (November 28) that the “Chinese and Indian militaries are implementing the solutions reached by the two sides on border-related issues, and progress is going smoothly”.
In a written answer in Lok Sabha on Friday, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said for the first time on Friday that the October 21 agreement has been “effected and implemented” on the ground.
“India and China reached agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in India-China border areas in Depsang and Demchok on 21 October 2024, leading to disengagement. It has been agreed therein that patrolling activities and, wherever applicable, grazing will resume as per longstanding practice before friction started in these areas. The agreement has since been effected and implemented as per modalities and timelines agreed,” Singh said.
The statement also clarifies that the conditions set for the resolution of earlier friction points, which included the establishment of buffer zones, remain intact.
“The terms of the agreements reached before October 21, 2024, continue to apply in the relevant areas of Eastern Ladakh,” Singh added.
At the earlier friction points, both sides had reportedly agreed to withdraw an equal distance from the area and suspend patrolling until overall de-escalation and troop withdrawal were completed.
