The Union Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Saturday that verification patrols have commenced in eastern Ladakh’s Demchok and Depsang areas, signalling a step forward in the recent disengagement agreement between India and China along the Line of Actual Control, reported The Indian Express.

Under the agreement, Indian troops now have access to patrolling points previously obstructed by the Chinese military in the Depsang Plains, close to Daulat Beg Oldie, as well as in Demchok, located southeast of Ladakh.

The restoration of patrolling rights was confirmed shortly after coordinated patrolling activities began in Demchok, an area where Chinese forces had previously encroached near Charding Nullah, according to The Indian Express.

In Depsang, the People’s Liberation Army had restricted India’s access to five key points, known as PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the external affairs ministry, said, “On October 21, 2024, the final phase of disengagement was agreed upon between India and China, paving the way for verification patrolling in Demchok and Depsang.”

As per the Centre, the agreement also establishes diplomatic channels at the level of foreign ministers to further stabilise ties and address issues of mutual interest. A recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan laid the foundation for this agreement.

Further meetings between India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Wang Yi are expected, with talks underway at the brigadier level to operationalise the terms locally.

This development follows Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s announcement of the patrolling agreement on October 21, which he noted as a positive shift in the two countries’ strained relationship.

Border tensions between India and China escalated after June 2020 when a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers took place in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control. It led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. Beijing said that the clash left four of its soldiers dead.

Initial rounds of disengagement occurred at various points of tension, including Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Pangong Tso, but Demchok and Depsang had remained points of contention.

Since the Galwan clashes, China and India have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve their border standoff.

This recent phase of disengagement includes the removal of temporary structures in the contested areas, marking the first stage of a three-step process: disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of troops that have been deployed there for over four years.

Also read: Why the India-China agreement does not mean a return to status quo