UN envoy calls for a peaceful dialogue on Doklam standoff

Even as China's volley of attacks against India continues over the border situation in Doklam (Doka La) plateau, United Nations has urged both sides to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue.

Speaking to India Today TV on Thursday, Jorge Chediek, Special Envoy to UN Secy General on South-South Cooperation, said, "The best situation from the perspective of United Nations is that every country gets along with each other. Cooperation is always better than confrontation. So we look forward to the two countries solving their differences in a peaceful way, as they expect themselves to do and continue their collaboration with each other as well as with other countries."

Even as the world community is monitoring the increased tension between India and China, the latter has upped the ante by acting on its threats of creating trouble in other areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The recent being the Pangong incident when the Indian and Chinese forces came to blows and hurled stones at each other, making the whole of LAC, especially the vulnerable areas, very volatile.

Hence, a worried international community is waiting for signs of de-escalation. Chediek said that while he was not engaged in any process of looking into the Doklam crisis, he did raise concerns regarding the border tensions itself, emphasising on the need to come up with a peaceful resolution to the crisis through dialogue.

"The concern is that it is no good that two great countries have tensions. So the best way is to have a peaceful solution through dialogue," he said.

The Doklam stand-off continues since mid-June when Indian forces prevented Chinese troops from building a road in Doka La (Doklam), an area which is disputed between Bhutan and China.

Chediek was speaking on the sidelines of the 'South-South And Triangular Cooperation' conference organised by Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) where he emphasised the need for 'practioners' of 'South-South cooperation' to get together and realise the corridor's full potential. He also appreciated prime minister Narendra Modi and his administration's efforts in promoting the initiative.

"Prime minister Modi has shown great leadership with the Asia-Africa corridor, triangular initiative with Japan and also his expression of solidarity in all international forums like BRICS and IBSA. He is a prominent leader who has given impetus to South-South cooperation," Chediek said.

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