China and India reached a deal over their disputed Himalayan border to help defuse a four-year military standoff marked by violent skirmishes. The pact between the world’s two most populous countries — in which both sides agreed to alternately patrol contested areas to ensure no border violations — came just ahead of the BRICS summit in Russia.

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 as both countries’ leaders arrive in Russia for a summit.

India and China share a disputed border that stretches 3,440 km (2,100 miles) and remains poorly defined. Natural features, such as rivers, lakes and snow-covered areas, cause the border to shift at times,