NEW DELHI : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is likely to hold a bilateral meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meet in Tajikistan.
This meeting will be the second face-to-face talk between Jaishankar and Wang Yi since the stand-offs started in early May last year at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The last time, the two leaders had met in Moscow in September last year during the Foreign Ministers’ meet of the SCO countries and discussed standoff at the LAC in Ladakh, which had seen violent clashes.
In June 2020, Jaishankar had conveyed a clear and unequivocal tough message to Wang Yi that what happened in Galwan was a “pre-mediated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.”
His message was strong in tone and tenor as he told Wang Yi that this “unprecedented development will have a serious impact on the bilateral relationship.” Sounding the warning bell the Indian Foreign Minister told his counterpart “the need of the hour was for the Chinese side to reassess its actions and take corrective steps.”
Jaishankar had conveyed the protest of the Indian government in the strongest terms on the violent face-off in Galway Valley on June 15, saying it reflected an intent to change the facts on the ground in violation of all our agreements to not change the status quo.
Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the violent face-off. Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash. The commanding officer of the Chinese Unit is among those killed.
In February, India and China began disengagement of the frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area.
The two sides held several rounds of Corps Commander level meetings during which they “positively appraised” the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area and agreed to continue their communication and push for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues. (AGENCY)
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