Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Thursday that India and China have agreed to disengage troops in a heavily disputed area around a lake in West Himalayas, marking a breakthrough after months of confrontation over the contested border.
According to Reuters, Singh informed parliament that the agreement was reached after several rounds of talks between military and diplomatic leaders. He said, "Our ongoing discussions with China have led to an agreement on disengagement on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Lake." The ninth round of negotiations between India and China took place on January 24, where views were exchanged regarding the withdrawal of troops from the western part of the Sino-Indian border.
Earlier, India Today reported that there were injuries among Indian and Chinese troops due to clashes on the border in the Indian state of Sikkim three days ago. Since those confrontations, Beijing and New Delhi have been seeking an agreement to ease tensions in the Sino-Indian border regions through military and diplomatic negotiations, as military clashes between them in the Himalayan region have escalated to deadly encounters. Both countries view the area as strategically, economically, and militarily significant, and if a final agreement is not reached between the parties, confrontations could flare up, with dire consequences for stability in the region.
It is worth noting that the two countries fought only one war in 1962, in which India suffered defeat.
