Amid Ladakh Standoff, MEA Says India’s Bilateral Ties With China, Other Neighbours ‘Not Deteriorated’

The statement comes in the aftermath of the violent clash between India and China in Galwan Valley of Ladakh where at least 20 Indian soldiers were martyred on June 15.

New Delhi: Despite the ongoing standoff along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said that India’s bilateral ties with China or other neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Myanmar have deteriorated recently.

In a shocking reply to a written question asked by Trinamool Congress member Sougata Ray in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that the government accords the “highest priority” to India’s relations with its neighbouring countries.

The statement comes in the aftermath of the violent clash between India and China in Galwan Valley of Ladakh where at least 20 Indian soldiers were martyred on June 15.

“India is an active political and economic partner of its neighbours and is involved in various projects, including development projects with these countries,” Muraleedharan said.

“India’s relations with other countries stand on their own footing and are independent of the relations of those countries with third countries,” he said.

Earlier today, The Home Ministry said “no infiltration has been reported along Indo-China border during the last six months”. Minister of State for home affairs Nityanand Rai went on to explain that there have been cases of attempted infiltration along India-Pakistan border during the same period.

The statement was in stark contrast to that of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who told the Lok Sabha yesterday that China was in “illegal occupation” of about 38,000 sq km of Indian territory in Ladakh, besides laying claim on nearly 90,000 sq km of land in Arunachal Pradesh.

India and China have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh since four months. The tension escalated after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the Southern Bank of Pangong lake when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the festering border row.