India on Thursday mentioned it “notes” the settlement on a “three-stage roadmap” to expedite talks between Bhutan and China to resolve the border dispute.
The settlement was signed 4 years after India and Chinese armies closed in a 73-day standoff on the Doklam tri-junction, when China tried to develop a street in an space claimed by Bhutan.
“We have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bhutan and China. You are aware that Bhutan and China have been having border talks since 1984. India is similarly holding border talks with China,” mentioned Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Bhutan mentioned in a press release that its Foreign Minister Lyonpo Tandi Dorji and China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding on a “three-stage roadmap” to speed up Bhutan-China border talks. “The MoU on the three-stage roadmap will give a new impetus to the border talks,” the Bhutanese Foreign Ministry mentioned.
It is predicted that the implementation of this roadmap within the spirit of goodwill, understanding and reconciliation will result in a profitable conclusion of the border talks which is suitable to each side.
“The negotiations, conducted in the spirit of compromise and adjustment, are guided by the 1988 Joint Communiqué on the Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Border and the 1998 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace, Peace and Status quo in the Bhutan-China Border Area,” Foreign Ministry mentioned.
During the tenth Expert Group assembly in Kunming in April this yr, the 2 sides agreed on a three-stage roadmap that will be primarily based on the 1988 Guiding Principles and assist speed up the continuing border talks.
Bhutan shares a border of over 400 km with China and the 2 international locations have held 24 rounds of border talks to resolve the dispute.
with PTI
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
