File Picture Courtesy : Hindustan Times
The Ministry of External Affairs has released a statement saying that expeditious disengagement of border personnel at Doklam has been agreed to and is ongoing.
The statement is as follows: “In recent weeks, India and China have maintained diplomatic communication in respect of the incident at Doklam. During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests. On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going.”
MEA Press Statement on Doklam Disengagement Understanding pic.twitter.com/fVo4N0eaf8
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 28, 2017
This move is surprising as only on Thursday, China had said that India had “slapped its own face” by deciding to build a road near Pangong Lake in Ladakh and it would only worsen the Doka La dispute. Beijing had warned that the move was not “conducive” to peace in the region.
The move also comes just days before the BRICS Summit which will be held in China in September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to China for the summit.
Thoughtful interview of @ShivshankaMenon by @SushantSin on Doklam, Kashmir, and Afghanistan. Read carefully: https://t.co/K7snMjFO5F
— Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) August 28, 2017
China recently had also issued a safety advisory to its citizens living in India. This was the second such notice amid the border row dispute between the two countries. The advisory had asked them to be alert and its validity is till 31 December. The last one-month advisory was issued on 8 July.
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff at Doklam sector in the Sikkim section for the past three months, which has led to escalation in bilateral tensions.
