Jaishankar lays stress on peace along LAC during talks with China's Wang
Jaishankar on Friday discussed «outstanding issues» along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Wang Yi, director of the office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, along the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta. Jaishankar said he discussed outstanding issues related to peace and tranquillity along LAC. In June, India and China held yet another round of diplomatic talks on the impasse along LAC in the Ladakh sector. India has maintained that relations cannot be normalised till peace and tranquillity are restored along the LAC. Remaining friction points along the LAC include Depsang and Demchok. Addressing EAS meeting earlier, Jaishankar in an indirect message to China emphasised that the body must be committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said India firmly supported the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and its implementation through EAS. «There is great synergy between the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative proposed by India and AOIP. Quad will always complement Asean and Asean-led mechanisms. AOIP contributes to the vision of the Quad,» Jaishankar said. «India affirms Asean centrality in the Indo-Pacific and advocates the strengthening of EAS.» The statement can be seen as an attempt to assuage Asean misgivings over Quad, a grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
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