Amid tension at LAC, Rajnath Singh meets Chinese Defence Minister in Moscow
Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart are in Moscow to attend a meeting of SCO defence ministers which took place in the day.
New Delhi: Amid the heightened tension at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on Friday in Moscow.
The meet, which started a little after 9:30 pm (IST), is the first high-level meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh.
Singh and Wei are in Moscow to attend a meeting of SCO defence ministers which took place in the day.
According to sources, China requested for the meet yesterday. India has urged China to sincerely engage with it to restore peace and tranquillity in border areas through complete disengagement and de-escalation. Speaking at the weekly briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the way ahead is negotiations both through diplomatic and military channels.
The situation with China has been tense and India is continuously engaging with them at the military and diplomatic level, Army Chief General MM Naravane said earlier today, who visited Ladakh to review the situation.
India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.
India recently outflanked China by taking control of strategic height near Pangong lake’s southern bank. It thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh.
The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June.
The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant General-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.