New Delhi: After Russia and the US, Germany is the latest country with which the Narendra Modi government has discussed the ongoing India-China border tensions, ThePrint has learnt.
The matter, including the violent clash on 15 June when 20 Indians were killed in action in the Galwan Valley, was discussed during a virtual meeting between Foreign Secretary Harsh V. Shringla and German State Secretary Miguel Berger Friday, diplomatic sources told ThePrint.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between India and China, even as the two nations are engaged in talks both at military as well as diplomatic levels for disengagement and de-escalation. New Delhi has accused Beijing of “unilaterally changing the status quo” at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
“Foreign Secretary @HarshVShringla held virtual consultations with German State Secretary @MiguelBergerAA on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest and Covid19 pandemic cooperation and response,” Anurag Srivastava, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet.
Foreign Secretary @HarshVShringla held virtual consultations with German State Secretary @MiguelBergerAA on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest and Covid19 pandemic cooperation and response. pic.twitter.com/fXW9kyvMCD
— Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) June 26, 2020
Germany has been India’s strategic partner since 2001 and both sides hold a biennial Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) at the level of the head of governments. India is among a select group of countries with which Germany has such a dialogue mechanism.
The last round of IGC was held during the visit of German Chancellor Angel Merkel to India in November last year.
During the meeting, both sides had decided to establish a Track 1.5 Strategic Dialogue to enhance “national, regional and strategic interests and to work out recommendations for joint engagement and action on individual policy areas”, according to the joint statement issued during Merkel’s visit.
Earlier, India had briefed Russia and US on border stand-off
India had briefed Russia and the US earlier this month on the border stand-off with China.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the stand-off with US President Donald Trump over a phone conversation on 2 June, Foreign Secretary Shringla discussed the evolving situation in eastern Ladakh with Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay R. Kudashev the same day.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday said the US is undertaking a review of where to reposition its security forces that are now deployed in Europe owing to challenges being posed by the People’s Liberation Army in various countries, including in India.
President Trump has also come under considerable fire for his decision to withdraw US troops from Germany as they believe such a move will weaken the security architecture of not just Germany but also of America’s own security.
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