Violation of pacts eroded bilateral ties, Rajnath tells China’s Defence Minister

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conveyed to China’s Defence Minister General Li Shangfu on Thursday that the violation of pacts has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and all factors between the two nations must be resolved in accordance with present agreements.

The bilateral meeting is the first between the two Defence Ministers as a result of the May 2020 standoff in Eastern Ladakh.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in an announcement said, “The Defence Minister categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders.”

All factors on the LAC must be resolved in accordance with present bilateral agreements and commitments, Rajnath added.

The Defence Minister “reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation,” said the MoD, together with that the two ministers had “frank discussions about developments on the India-China border as well as bilateral relations.”

India and China mobilized their armed forces in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020 which began with a battle between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops and Indian Army troopers at Finger 4 on the Northern Bank of the Pangong Lake.

ALSO READ | Disengagement, de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh biggest means forward: Defence Minister Rajnath

Subsequently, the PLA had stationed its troops at a lot of components alongside Eastern Ladakh reacting to which the Indian Army had a mirror deployment inside the house leading to stand-off.

Later, after 17 rounds of talks between the Corps Commanders of the two sides there was disengagement at a lot of components excluding these at Depsang and Demchok. There was no extra breakthrough inside the 18th Corps Commanders’ focus on held on April 23. Tensions alongside the three,488 km prolonged Line of Actual Control prevail with clashes moreover taking place at Yangtze in Arunachal Pradesh in December 2022.

The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting on April 28.

Rajnath moreover had a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of Iran ahead of the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting.

Regarding the bilateral meeting with Iran’s Defence Minister Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani on Thursday, the MoD said, “The meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasised the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect.”

“Both the ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security factors, along with peace and stability in Afghanistan. Further, the two ministers talked about the occasion of the International North South Transport corridor to ease logistic points to Afghanistan and completely different nations in Central Asia,” said the MoD.

Rajnath moreover held separate bilateral conferences with Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Colonel General Ruslan Zhaxylykov and Minister of Defence of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Mirzo on Thursday. As per the MoD, “The entire spectrum of defence cooperation with the two countries was reviewed during the meetings, with focus on identifying avenues to expand mutually beneficial collaboration. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed.”

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conveyed to China’s Defence Minister General Li Shangfu on Thursday that the violation of pacts has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and all factors between the two nations must be resolved in accordance with present agreements.

The bilateral meeting is the first between the two Defence Ministers as a result of the May 2020 standoff in Eastern Ladakh.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in an announcement said, “The Defence Minister categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders.”googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.present(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); );

All factors on the LAC must be resolved in accordance with present bilateral agreements and commitments, Rajnath added.

The Defence Minister “reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation,” said the MoD, together with that the two ministers had “frank discussions about developments on the India-China border as well as bilateral relations.”

India and China mobilized their armed forces in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020 which began with a battle between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops and Indian Army troopers at Finger 4 on the Northern Bank of the Pangong Lake.

ALSO READ | Disengagement, de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh biggest means forward: Defence Minister Rajnath

Subsequently, the PLA had stationed its troops at a lot of components alongside Eastern Ladakh reacting to which the Indian Army had a mirror deployment inside the house leading to stand-off.

Later, after 17 rounds of talks between the Corps Commanders of the two sides there was disengagement at a lot of components excluding these at Depsang and Demchok. There was no extra breakthrough inside the 18th Corps Commanders’ focus on held on April 23. Tensions alongside the three,488 km prolonged Line of Actual Control prevail with clashes moreover taking place at Yangtze in Arunachal Pradesh in December 2022.

The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting on April 28.

Rajnath moreover had a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of Iran ahead of the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting.

Regarding the bilateral meeting with Iran’s Defence Minister Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani on Thursday, the MoD said, “The meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasised the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect.”

“Both the ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security factors, along with peace and stability in Afghanistan. Further, the two ministers talked about the occasion of the International North South Transport corridor to ease logistic points to Afghanistan and completely different nations in Central Asia,” said the MoD.

Rajnath moreover held separate bilateral conferences with Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Colonel General Ruslan Zhaxylykov and Minister of Defence of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Mirzo on Thursday. As per the MoD, “The entire spectrum of defence cooperation with the two countries was reviewed during the meetings, with focus on identifying avenues to expand mutually beneficial collaboration. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed.”