(TibetanReview.net, Sep15’22) – A day after Indian and Chinese troops completed the disengagement process at Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs region of eastern Ladakh, India has on Sep 14 confirmed that the process has been completed, adding that it is “one problem less on the border”. But friction on other border and other serious problems between the two countries still remain, including on the issue of UN Security Council blacklisting of Pakistan-based terrorists.
The border pullback confirmation was made by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after the disengagement process was completed at one of the last friction points on India-China border.
The remarks came in response to questions at a media interaction after a bilateral meeting with visiting Foreign Minister of France, Catherine Colonna, when Jaishankar said, as quoted by the indianexpress.com Sep 15, “… I would recognize that we had disengagement at PP-15…the disengagement, as I understand, is completed, and that is one problem less on the border.”
Jaishankar has concurred with Colonna on China’s role in disturbing the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, saying, “it’s important for like-minded countries to work together to contribute to ensuring peace, stability, security, prosperity, and progress. We consider France very much an Indo-Pacific player and also a country which has a long-standing presence in the Indian Ocean.”
France said it shared India’s concerns in the Indo-Pacific where China continued to pose “many challenges” and where international law had been undermined, reported the timesofindia.com Sep 15.
And with Beijing having twice blocked this year UN designation of Pakistan based operatives of terror groups as global terrorists, Jaishankar also said any country which blocks designation of terrorists, particularly when the merits of the case are very apparent, it does so at the peril of its own “interests and reputation,” the report said.
“Terrorists are listed because they are a threat to the entire international community and not to pursue any narrow, national agenda,” Jaishankar has said, as he appreciated France’s “clear-cut” position on terrorism.