India and China have agreed to “expeditious disengagement” of border personnel at Dokalam, the government said today, a week before the BRICS summit in Xiamen for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to China.
In a major diplomatic breakthrough, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the two countries had maintained “diplomatic communication” and were able to express their views, concerns and interests.
Troops of the two countries have been locked in a standoff in Dokalam near Sikkim since June after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area.
“In recent weeks, India and China have maintained diplomatic communication in respect of the incident at Dokalam. During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests.
“On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the faceoff site in Dokalam has been agreed to and is ongoing,” an MEA spokesperson said.
MEA Press Statement on Doklam Disengagement Understanding