'We are closely...': US welcomes India-China agreement on border disengagement

The United States has said that it welcomes any reduction in tension along the India-China border and noted that it has been briefed by New Delhi in this regard. “We are closely following the developments (between India and China). We understand that both countries have taken initial steps to withdraw troops from friction points along the Line of Actual Control. We welcome any reduction in tensions along the border,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday.

Responding to a question, Miller said that the US has played no role in this.

“We have talked to our Indian partners and been briefed on it, but we did not play any role in this resolution,” Miller said.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller's statement comes just a few days after India and China agreed to disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Disengagement of troops of India and China started at two friction points in Demchok and Depsang Plains in the Eastern Ladakh sector, defence officials said on October 25. On October 21, India announced that it reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh ending the over four-year-long military standoff. Speaking at an event in New Delhi on October 24, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the two countries had reached a consensus to restore the “ground situation” based on the principles of equal and mutual security.

He added that this includes restoration of “patrolling and grazing to traditional areas”. Singh attributed the progress in ties to the “power of engaging in continuous dialogue because, sooner or later, solutions will emerge.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)