India, China to work on withdrawal of military from border areas

The Indian Foreign Ministry has said that India and China have agreed to work urgently on the early withdrawal of the military from the border territory.

The Ministry made the remarks in a press release after a meeting between the South Asian republic's Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, which took place on the sidelines of ASEAN events in Laos, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Ministry.

The talks between the two foreign ministers were focused "on seeking early resolution of outstanding issues along the Line of Actual Control to stabilise and restore bilateral relations", the Indian ministry stressed.

The ministers "agreed on the need for focused and urgent work to achieve complete withdrawal of forces as soon as possible." Peace and tranquility on the borders is essential for normalisation of bilateral relations, the Indian foreign ministry pointed out.

The foreign ministry added that the two sides should fully respect the relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments.

The two foreign ministers agreed that a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Issues will be held soon.