India on Thursday reiterated that only early completion of disengagement in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh could pave the way for both Indian and Chinese troops to consider de-escalation and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such a step could enable progress in bilateral relations between the two countries.
"I would like to reiterate that only early completion of disengagement in the remaining areas could pave the way for the two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity and enable progress on overall bilateral relations," he said.
India and China held a virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs last month as part of the dialogue process to resolve the standoff.
In the meeting, the two sides agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.
"You would recall that the 22nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on the border was held on June 25. The two sides also agreed to hold the 12th round of senior commanders meeting at an early date. We will certainly share any update once we have that," Bagchi said.