Indian Army Chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane expressed hope on Tuesday that border talks with China would help reach an amicable settlement of the long-lasting territorial dispute
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Indian Army Chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane expressed hope on Tuesday that border talks with China would help reach an amicable settlement of the long-lasting territorial dispute.
The sides held the latest round of corps commander-level talks in Ladakh on November 6. The two countries have since been in discussions on the next such meeting.
"Eight rounds of talks have happened. We are waiting for the 9th round. We would be able to reach an amicable solution. I am very hopeful for a positive outcome," Naravane told an annual presser in the run-up to Army Day.
The top military official went on to commend the Indian army's operational preparedness and "high" morale of troops.
He also confirmed reports that the Chinese People's Liberation Army had pulled back troops from depth areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), noting, however, that "there is no reduction in strength in friction points."
The absence of a marked border between China and India has been a source of tension for decades. The current confrontation along the LAC flared up in May, leaving dozens of soldiers injured on both sides. The tensions came to a head in mid-June, when 20 Indian servicemen died in fighting that also led to an unspecified number of fatalities among Chinese troops. In late August, both sides again accused each other of provocations and illegal border crossings.
New Delhi and Beijing have since held a series of talks to deescalate tensions and start disengagement of forces in the area.
