Consensus achieved on patrolling and grazing to traditional areas: Rajnath Singh 

India and China have reached a breakthrough in their border dispute talks, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announcing a broad consensus to restore the ground situation based on equal and mutual security.

New Delhi: A day after two countries made formal announcement about the talks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the broad consensus has been achieved to restore ground situation based on the principles of equal and mutual security.

Speaking at Chanakya Defence Dialogue in Delhi, Rajnath Singh said: “India and China have been involved in talks both at diplomatic and military levels to resolve their differences in certain areas along the LAC. Pursuant to the talks, broad consensus has been achieved to restore ground situation based on the principles of equal and mutual security.”

He also mentioned that the consensus achieved includes patrolling and grazing to traditional areas. 

“This is the power of engaging in continuous dialogue because sooner or later, solutions will emerge,” the defence minister said. 

Just after the bilateral meeting between the prime minister, Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping at Kazan on the sidelines of BRICS Summit, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that the consensus arrived few days ago after having several round of talks at military and diplomatic levels, which was also welcomed by the political leadership, should certainly lead to an easing of the situation along the line of actual control.

 On being asked about whether soldiers will be at the LAC for the fifth year, Misri said: “I would defer this question to our military leadership because this relates to operational matters and I think it would be best that we let our military leaders dwell on this particular issue.”