EAM Jaishankar Commits to Intensifying Efforts on Border Issues with China's Wang Yi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan. The two sides underscored the necessity to expedite the process of "disengagement, de-escalation, and easing of tensions" and work toward full restoration of peace and tranquility in border areas.

Jaishankar underlined the importance of "observing the Line of Actual Control and working towards peace and tranquillity in the border areas." He stressed, "Mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest should preside in the relations between India and China."

An official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said, “the two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.”

“EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards the return of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA release read.

In no uncertain terms, Jaishankar said that efforts must be doubled to achieve full disengagement at the earliest from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore "border peace and tranquility" to facilitate normalcy in ties.

Both Ministers agreed on continued and further strengthened meetings of the diplomatic and military officials, and both sides emphasized the role that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) could play in this regard, proposing that the next meeting of this body be convened at an early date.

“To that end, they agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting. EAM reiterated that the India-China relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests,” the release added.

Jaishankar also mentioned that "India stands for China's Presidency of SCO next year," suggesting a broader kind of cooperation to encompass regional issues as well.