Japan opposes unilateral action that changes the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, said Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki in a discussion on Friday with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on the India-China stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
“Had a good talk with Foreign Secretary Shringla. Appreciated his briefing on the situation along LAC, including the government of India’s policy to pursue peaceful resolution. Japan also hopes for peaceful resolution through dialogues. Japan opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” said Mr. Suzuki in a social media message after the discussion.
The discussion comes after navies of the two countries held a joint exercise in the Indian Ocean. Four vessels belonging to the Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces (JMSDF) participated in the exercise, which was held in the backdrop of LAC tensions in Ladakh. Maintaining the diplomatic push, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed bilateral issues with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on June 30. Similarly, Foreign Secretary Shringla had interacted with the French Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 29. He had also briefed Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev in the first week of June.
The discussion also coincided with continued deterioration in the security scenario along the Line of Control and International Boundary in Jammu and Kashmir that prompted India to lodge a “strong protest” against ceasefire violation from the Pakistan side.
“This year, till June 2020, 14 Indians have been killed and 88 Indians have been injured in more than 2,432 unprovoked ceasefire violations carried out by Pakistan forces. We have also conveyed our strong concerns at the continued support being extended by the Pakistan forces for cross-border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire,” said informed sources.
