NEW DELHI: The conclusion of disengagement in Eastern Ladakh, achieved through a step-by-step process, will allow both countries to pursue other aspects of bilateral engagements in a calibrated manner, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. Making a statement on India-China ties in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas would be the basis for the relationship moving forward.Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament, the first since the India and China reached an agreement to disengage from Depsang and Demchok friction points, came a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia’s Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.Prior to the meeting, both countries had firmed up an agreement on patrolling by their militaries along the Line of Actual Control.The minister also said that in his recent meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, they reached an understanding that the Special Representatives- and the Foreign Secretary-level mechanisms will be convened soon. With disengagement complete, he said the next priority is de-escalation, which would address the massing of troops along the LAC. India is committed to engaging with China “through bilateral talks to arrive at a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement”, he said. Underlining three principles, he said both sides should respect the LAC, neither side should attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo, and agreements reached in the past must be abided by in their entirety.
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