INDIA. Mumbai: After the recent twelfth round of talks between the Corps Commanders of India and China, the disengagement of troops from “Gogra Post” (PP17 A) in Ladakh was carried out on August 04 and August 05 and the troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases, Union Defence Ministry stated on Friday.
The twelfth round of talks was held on July 31 at Chushul Moldo Meeting Point in Eastern Ladakh. The Indian delegation was led by Leh-based XIV Corps chief Lt Gen PGK Menon, and Additional Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Naveen Srivastava. The Chinese military delegation was led by the Commander of the PLA’s Western Theatre Command, Xu Qiling, who was appointed earlier this month.
As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated, and verified manner. The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on resolution of remaining areas related to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas. As an outcome of the meeting, both sides agreed on disengagement in the area of Gogra. The troops in this area have been in a face-off situation since May last year.
All temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides have been dismantled and mutually verified. The landform in the area has been restored by both sides to the pre-stand-off period. This agreement ensures that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides and that there is no unilateral change in the status quo.
With this one more sensitive area of face-off has been resolved. Both sides have expressed commitment to take the talks forward and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. The Indian Army along with Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is committed to ensure the sovereignty of the nation and maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector, the Defence Ministry statement said.
The ‘Gogra Post'(PP17A) is a key patrol point in Eastern Ladakh. The 12 th round of talks were constructive, which further enhanced mutual understanding, both the nations had said in a joint statement last week. However, as per the report, the disengagement from PP15 or the Hot Springs area is a contentious issue. As per the official sources, the movement is likely to begin in a coming couple of days, and the details of the disengagement are being discussed.
Following the Galwan Valley clash in June last year, PP17A and PP15 on the Indian side of the LAC were highly militarized with platoon-sized units stationed on the points, however, the forces have not had any violent engagements since. India and China have been engaged in diplomatic and military talks after tensions began rising along the high-altitude border in 2020. The situation escalated when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a skirmish in mid-June at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
