External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China on Thursday evening in Moscow on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. The crucial meeting between the top leaders of both the countries took place in the backdrop of a prolonged tension at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Easter Ladakh. During the meeting, India lodged a strong concern over the massive troop build up by China at the border. Government sources said that New Delhi told Beijing that the provocative behaviour “showed disregard for bilateral agreements”.

The two nuclear-powered countries reached a five-point agreement that will guide both in resolving the Ladakh border standoff.

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A joint statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs stated the five points that the countries have agreed upon. These are:

1. The two Ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes.

2. The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions.

3. The two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.

4. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings.

5. The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

India and China have been locked in an intense standoff since past several months at multiple locations in Ladakh along the LAC. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air, news agency PTI reported. India has deployed troops on major hilltops of the region in response to large scale troops and military equipment deployment by the Chinese PLA.