India and China have reached an agreement on military disengagement along their disputed border, New Delhi said, a step toward reducing frictions between the nuclear-armed neighbors that comes ahead of an expected meeting between the countries’ leaders on the sidelines of a summit in Russia.

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

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday said the regional rivals had reached an agreement on patrolling the border, signalling an end to the military standoff, although China did not immediately confirm the pact.