Strain on LAC peace to impact ties, says minister Jaishankar

NEWDELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of China adhering to agreements struck over the years with India on how the two countries will approach border issues and said that there will be issues if “peace and tranquillity is put under stress”. His comments are significant, coming as they do amidst differences on the disengagement and de-escalation process at the Line of Actual Control between the two nations.

Jaishankar said that the relationship between the two countries moved forward on various other dimensions, including the economic one, because of these agreements and the fact that both countries followed them. “Clearly, if we want peace and tranquillity on the border, we need to adhere to those (previous) agreements… There will naturally be issues if the peace and tranquillity is put under stress,” Jaishankar told Hindustan Times in an interview.

India has stressed on the need to speedily resolve “outstanding issues” related to the border standoff along the LAC amid differences despite several rounds of diplomatic and military talks.

The military dialogue between senior commanders from the two sides has hit a roadblock due to Chinese reluctance to restore status quo ante in some key areas.

Speaking about which American President will be better from India’s perspective, the minister said: “If you look at the last four American presidents, two Republicans and two Democrats — each very different from the other. Yet, each raised the level of relationship with India further… Different sets of politicians who disagree on many things agree on India. And I think that is a very good place to be.”