External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday firmly rejected the Opposition’s criticism of the government on the India-China military stand-off at eastern Ladakh, saying progress has been made on five-six friction points and efforts were on to resolve the remaining issues peacefully.

Talking to reporters here, he said the talks between the two countries have not been halted and the next round of negotiations would be held soon.

“It was said that we will not be able to do anything, talks will not be successful, there will be no progress, disengagement cannot take place, but solutions were found in some of the focal points in the last three years. There were five-six areas that were very tense. There has been progress (there),” Jaishankar said.

On India developing border infrastructure, the foreign minister said the Indian forces were now better placed to quickly deploy troops and counter movement of the Chinese military effectively. ”If you ask whether after 2014, the Indian military and the Indian Air Force are able to deploy and counter any Chinese movement better, the answer is “yes, absolutely,” he said.

The minister said the overall mobility of both the armed forces and the civilian population in the border areas has increased tremendously in the last few years because of the government’s focus on rapid enhancement of infrastructure in the frontier areas. security challenges.

Speaking about connectivity with the neighbouring countries, Jaishankar said: ”We are in talks on a rail link between Bhutan and Assam…Bhutan is very keen to open more points for tourists and it is very good for Assam.”

On talks between Bhutan and China, he said: “…they are having negotiations, and 24 rounds have been completed. They will be holding more rounds. We track carefully what affects us. It is for them to determine the pace.”

Speaking on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Jaishankar said, “Kailash Mansarovar – Infrastructure is building up, there is a need for a tunnel there, Border Road Organisation (BRO) is working and planning it. But, there is no signal from China on coming back to the old process”.

Terming the Myanmar Trilateral highway a “big challenge” due to the prevailing law and order situation there, the minister said India has to engage with the authorities in Myanmar to complete the project and to get access to the Sittwe port.

“The border situation with Myanmar is challenging. Sittwe Port is operational, and we are hopeful to conclude the coastal shipping agreement this year. The Myanmar Trilateral highway is a big challenge due to the law and order situation. We are engaging with the Myanmar authorities to meet challenges,” Jaishankar said.