SHILLONG, Dec 7 - The Indian Army today underscored the importance of �peace and tranquillity in the border areas� for friendly relations between India and China.
�We have agreed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for smooth development of our relations,� Major General Deepak Mehra, General Officer Commanding, Red Horns Division, said.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the 14-day �Hand-in-Hand� joint Indo-China military exercise that began at the Umroi cantonment in Ri-Bhoi district.
A total of 130 Chinese personnel from the Tibet Military Command and an equal number of Indian Army personnel from the Kumaon Regiment are taking part in the joint military drills.
Maj Gen Mehra said India and China are �two great civilisations� and added that both countries can develop their relations further when the border areas remain peaceful and tranquil.
It may be mentioned that troops from the Tibet Military Command were involved in the standoff with the Indian Army at Doklam in 2017.
Maj Gen Mehra said India and China are two of the largest and fastest developing countries and both the nations stand to gain from further improvement in their relations.
The two nations with almost one-third of the world�s population do agree that �stable and improved relations will be beneficial for the people�, Maj Gen Mehra said.
He said that an improved relationship between the two nations would also be an �important factor for stability� in an uncertain global environment.
Informing about the steps being taken to improve relations, Maj Gen Mehra said: �Armed forces of both countries have enhanced communications and are implementing various confidence-building measures.�
He added that joint military exercises like the one which began today are initiatives being taken to bring the two armed forces closer and understand each other better.
The eight edition of the Indo-China joint military exercise coincides with the 70th year of diplomatic connect between China and India.
Apart from the joint military exercise, 70 other celebratory activities are being organised to mark the occasion.
Maj Gen Mehra said the joint activities would further deepen people-to-people contact between the two countries. He added that the joint exercise is an �opportunity to evolve� by mutual sharing of experiences and imbibing the best practices.
The exercise is expected to further sharpen the skills of soldiering in the areas of physical fitness, field crafts, mastering tactics and validation exercises, sport, recreational and competitions with simultaneous understanding of tradition, culture and history, Maj Gen Mehra said.
