India-China Disengagement in Ladakh Completes: A Step Towards Peace

India and China have completed disengagement in Eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok, facilitating coordinated patrolling. Both nations' troops are smoothly progressing in boundary agreement work. The resolution aims to restore pre-2020 conditions after prolonged tensions due to Chinese military actions.

In a significant diplomatic development, the disengagement process between India and China in the contentious regions of Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh has been successfully completed, according to Indian Army sources on Wednesday. This pivotal move clears the way for coordinated patrolling activities by the military forces of both nations in their respective operational areas.

According to Army sources, the disengagement is part of a broader initiative to address ongoing disputes and reestablish the pre-April 2020 status quo, which had been unsettled by Chinese aggressive military maneuvers. Ground commanders from both sides will maintain dialogue to ensure the disengagement process continues smoothly, with cultural exchanges like Diwali sweets envisioned to foster camaraderie.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that frontier troops from both countries are engaged in 'relevant work' consistent with the border agreement, and this work is reported to be progressing without hindrances. This follows a recent India-China agreement facilitating patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, thereby concluding over four years of military confrontation.

This crucial resolution was underscored by a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit, where both leaders endorsed the new patrolling protocols along the LAC, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs. These developments mark a concerted effort to defuse the border standoff initiated in 2020 by Chinese military activity, which has since strained bilateral relations.

(With inputs from agencies.)