No third country needs to interfere in India’s bilateral relation and military ties with the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said. India expected talks with China to lead to “disengagement” at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.
“Military exercise has nothing to do with 1993, 1996 agreements with China but the Chinese side needs to reflect and think its own breach of these agreements. India conducts exercises with whomsoever it chooses, it doesn’t give a veto to a third country,” said Mr. Bagchi in response to a question that had raised China’s objection to India-U.S. military exercise.
Earlier, a spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry objected to the 18th edition of ‘Yudh Abhyas’, the India-U.S. military exercise, and said the show of military strength taking place around 100 km from the LAC in Uttarakhand violated the spirit of the border agreements of 1993 and 1996.