Srinagar, December 3: External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar told Parliament on Tuesday that the Galwan Valley hostilities in June 2020 were the first fatalities along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 45 years. He said the clashes were a watershed moment in India-China ties.
He added the intense skirmishes in Galwan prompted the deployment of heavy weaponry close the LAC, necessitating a substantial counter-position by Indian forces.
He said the situation necessitated a diplomatic endeavour to reduce tensions and restore calm.According to Jaishankar, India’s relations with China are founded on an arrangement reached in 1988 to address boundary problems peacefully.
He went on to say that in 1991, both countries committed to keep the LAC peaceful until the boundary issue was finally resolved. He also stated that various agreements have been reached to boost confidence between the two countries.
He went on to say that an agreement to keep peace was signed in 1993, and that additional confidence-building measures in military regions were implemented in 1996.
Jaishankar stated that the Declaration of Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation was finalised in 2003, prompting the establishment of special representatives to address the boundary issue.
He stated that in 2005, a protocol for confidence-building measures was devised.
According to Jaishankar, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was developed in 2012 to supplement existing peacekeeping organisations.
In 2013, an agreement on border defence cooperation was struck, he noted.
