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China, India agree to cooperate on border issue

"The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side," the document says

BEIJING, September 11. /TASS/. China and India have agreed to avoid escalation at the border and to observe the existing agreements on the issue, the top diplomats of the two countries said in a joint statement following talks in Moscow.

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

According to the communique, "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."

"The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side," the document says. "Sides should continue their dialogue."

"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 tranquility in the border areas," it says.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi "set forth China’s harsh stance regarding the situation n the Indian-Chinese border" during talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

"He stressed that first of all, the sides need to immediately stop any provocations with shooting and other dangerous activities in breach of agreements, disengage troops and help to defuse and normalize the situation on the border," the document says.

In turn, the foreign minister of India said his country "is not interested in escalation of tensions in the border areas."

"India is ready to move in the same direction with the Chinese side, to ease tensions on the border through dialogue and negotiations, to restore and protect peace and prosperity in border regions," he said.

The situation on the Indian-Chinese border in Ladakh deteriorated following clashes in early May. On August 31, the Indian Defense Ministry informed that Indian forces had blocked the movement of Chinese troops in the union territory of Ladakh in the early hours of August 30. The following day, the Indian Foreign Ministry informed that Chinese troops had staged another provocation on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake. China has rejected the accusations of the Indian side.