India on Thursday said it was aware of the agreement signed between Bhutan and China to resolve disputes along their 477-kilometre border, NDTV reported.
“We have noted the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Bhutan and China today [Thursday],” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs. “You are aware that Bhutan and China have been holding boundary negotiations since 1984. India has similarly been holding boundary negotiations with China.”
After 24 rounds of talks over 37 years, Bhutan and China have drawn up a three-step roadmap to resolve the dispute along the border, The Hindu reported. The negotiations were delayed since 2017 following a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam, the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction.
The Indo-China stalemate at Doklam near the Sikkim border had lasted more than 74 days between June and August 2017. Beijing and New Delhi had said that troops from the other nation had transgressed into their territory.
Bilateral ties were strained after the Indian Army stopped China from constructing a road in Doklam. The road, Bhutan had claimed, passed from its terrain.
Now, Bhutan’s foreign ministry is optimistic about the memorandum of understanding signed with China.
“It is expected that the implementation of this Roadmap in a spirit of goodwill, understanding and accommodation will bring the boundary negotiations to a successful conclusion that is acceptable to both sides,” said Bhutan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry further said that it looks forward to “more focused and systematic discussion” with China on the boundary dispute.
The Bhutanese Embassy in Delhi said that the process of negotiation with China is “sensitive” and thus not much information could be shared.
Since 1984, talks between Bhutan and China have focused on two separate areas of dispute – Doklam and the Jakarlung and Pasamlung valleys near Tibet, The Hindu reported. China has recently laid claims to Bhutan’s Eastern Sakteng region.
Meanwhile, there was no breakthrough in the 13th round of military talks between India and China on Sunday to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The two countries have been locked in a border standoff since their troops clashed in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June last year. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clash. China put the number of casualties on its side at four.
After several rounds of talks, India and China had disengaged from Pangong Tso Lake in eastern Ladakh in February. After the commander level talks on July 31, the two countries also agreed to disengage from Gogra.
India and China are now discussing ways to resolve pending matters in a quick manner.
During Sunday’s talks, India made constructive suggestions to resolve the tensions, the Indian Army said. “But the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals,” it added.
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