LAC stalemate hurting ties: Jaishankar to Wang
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New Delhi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday firmly conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the prolongation of the existing situation in eastern Ladakh was visibly impacting the bilateral ties in a ’negative manner’ and rued that there was no forward movement from the Chinese side since the disengagement in Pangong lake areas in February that had created conditions for resolving the remaining issues.
During a one-hour meeting on the sidelines of an SCO conclave in Dushanbe, the external affairs minister also told Wang that any unilateral change in the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was ’not acceptable’ to India and that the overall ties can only develop after full restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh. The two foreign ministers agreed to hold the next round of military dialogue at the earliest and that it should discuss all the remaining issues and seek a mutually acceptable solution, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The in-person meeting took place in the midst of a stalemate in the disengagement process between the two militaries in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh after they withdrew troops and weapons from the Pangong lake areas in February following series of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the standoff. “The External Affairs Minister recalled both sides had agreed a prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of either side. It was visibly impacting the relationship in a negative manner,” the MEA said in a statement.
Assessing the overall relationship, Jaishankar emphasised that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas has been the foundation for the development of ties since 1988.
“The attempts to change status quo last year that also disregarded commitments under the 1993 and 1996 agreements have inevitably affected ties. He emphasised it was, therefore, in mutual interest the two sides work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the MEA said.
Rajasthan: Pakistani ISI Agent nabbed in Pokhran, Army’s confidential documents seized
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The Pakistani ISI agent was arrested, there is an update on who was nabbed in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Delhi Police has registered a case under the official secret act against accused Habibul Rehman. He worked for Pakistani ISI and had also been there. Army’s confidential documents and map of the army area have been seized from him as well. The accused has said that the documents were given to him by somebody called Paramjit Kaur, an army personal deployed in Agra and he is supposed to hand over the documents to someone called Kamaal. Questioning is underway, Information coming in from Delhi’s Crime Branch. Watch the video to know more!
Merkel calls flooding a catastrophe, promises government help
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the deadly flooding in her homeland a catastrophe on Thursday and said she was working with the nation’s finance and interior ministers to determine how the government can get help to those that need it.
Merkel, on a visit to Washington, told reporters that many countries have expressed solidarity and offered help. “Here in Washington, my thoughts are also always with the people in our homeland,” she said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann)