New Delhi: The Sino-Indian Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs on Wednesday agreed that senior commanders should meet soon to work out early troops withdrawal from eastern Ladakh in accordance with bilateral pacts and protocols.

The two sides reviewed the situation on the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and had detailed discussions on developments since the August 20 WMCC meeting, an MEA statement said in New Delhi on Wednesday. The WMCC meeting discussed how to implement the ‘five-point consensus’ foreign ministers recently.

“They emphasised the need to implement steps outlined in the joint press release issued after the last meeting of the senior commanders to avoid misunderstandings and to maintain stability on the ground. In this context, the need to strengthen communication, especially between the ground commanders, was emphasized. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military level. They agreed that the next round of the meeting of senior commanders should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards early and complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC in accordance with the existing bilateral agreement and protocols, and fully restore peace and tranquillity,” the MEA statement said.

The Indian delegation was led by foreign ministry joint secretary for east Asia while the director general of the Boundary & Oceanic Department led the Chinese delegation. The two sides positively evaluated the outcome of the 6th senior commanders meeting on September 21.

On Tuesday China had said that it does not recognise the Union Territory of Ladakh, queering the pitch over the LAC standoff with India. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin alleged in Beijing that India had “illegally established” the UT of Ladakh and opposed infrastructure development on border areas. India has out rightly rejected the Chinese interpretation of the Ladakh situation. “China does not recognise the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh illegally established by India, and opposes infrastructure construction in disputed border areas for military control purposes,” spokesperson Wang said while commenting on India’s move to build roads along the border. “According to the recent consensus between China and India, neither side should take actions in border areas that would complicate the situation, so as not to affect the efforts of both sides to ease the situation,” Wang added, in comments posted by state-run Global Times on its Twitter handle. The move to create the UT was initiated more than a year ago though.

Reacting to Chinese statement, India said it has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control. This position has been consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side, according to MEA.

“Furthermore, under their various bilateral agreements including the 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the LAC, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the military field, 2005, Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, 2005, Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, both India and China have committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC. In fact, the two sides had engaged in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC up to 2003, but this process could not proceed further as the Chinese side did not show a willingness to pursue it,” MEA had said.