Four years ago, several soldiers from both sides were killed in a bloody melee. Any thaw between the countries could have global implications.

India and China have agreed on patrolling arrangements to de-escalate tensions along a disputed Himalayan border which has seen deadly hand-to-hand clashes in recent years, India’s top diplomat has said. Vikram Misri said on Monday the two sides have agreed on “disengagement and resolution of issues in these [border] areas that had arisen in 2020”.

China has reached a resolution with India on resolving their border conflict and will work to implement solutions, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. China and India have been in close communication through diplomatic and military channels,

The news came on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia for an Oct. 22-24 summit of the BRICS regional grouping, during which he could hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping,

China and India, nuclear-armed neighbors, have had thousands of troops facing off in a contested region of the Himalayas since 2020, when skirmishes led to the first deadly clashes in four decades. In October,

China confirmed on Tuesday it had reached a deal with India over their disputed frontier, without elaborating on whether the pact covered the length of the border or just points where the two sides have been involved in a standoff since 2020.