Talks for Gogra, Hot Springs disengagement today

India and China will discuss the next steps for disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh on Saturday in the 12th round of Corps Commander level talks between the two sides.The talks, which will take place at China’s Moldo camp, are expected to pave the way for disengagement from the friction points of Hot Springs and Gogra Heights. If there is progress, it would mark easing of border tensions since February, when both sides decided to withdraw troops from Pangong Tso area.Sources said that the talks are expected to commence at 10:30 am and could take the entire day, given the complexity of discussions and going by past experience of negotiations. The two flashpoints to be discussed are the last remaining problem areas that emerged during the border crisis last year, when PLA shifted thousands of troops taking part in an army exercise to the LAC.84912216As part of its aggressive border actions, the PLA last year occupied the Finger Area at Pangong Tso, moved in troops into the Galwan valley and deployed soldiers and armoured vehicles at Hot Springs and Gogra. Out of these areas, only Pangong Tso had been a recurring border irritant, with India being surprised on the opening up of new fronts by the PLA. Both Galwan and Pangong Tso have seen troop withdrawal by both sides since then.The situation at Depsang Plains, north of the other friction points, is being dealt with separately, given that disagreements and faceoffs have been occurring there since 2013. Both armies have been blocking the other’s patrols at Depsang for several years, with the last Indian patrol across a crucial feature named bottleneck being conducted in February last year. A minor issue also exists at the Charding Nalla at Demchok in the south over two tents pitched by so called civilians on disputed territory since 2018.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2UYTY9D