In a significant development aimed at stabilizing bilateral relations, India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights between the two nations. The decision came during a two-day foreign secretary-level meeting held in Beijing, where Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri engaged with his Chinese counterpart under the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement confirming that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is expected to restart in the summer. Relations between the two countries had further strained following the Galwan Valley clash, delaying the renewal of arrangemenThis pilgrimage, which includes visits to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, had been suspended since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.ts.
The resumption of the yatra was described as a major step forward, reflecting the commitment of both sides to implement people-centric initiatives. This aligns with discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their October meeting in Kazan, where they emphasized rebuilding ties.
An in-principle agreement was also reached to restart direct air services between India and China. Technical teams from both nations will meet soon to finalize an updated framework to facilitate these flights.
Additionally, the meeting emphasized the need to revive cooperation on trans-border rivers. An early session of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism is being planned to address the resumption of hydrological data sharing and other related matters.
During his visit, Foreign Secretary Misri held discussions with prominent Chinese leaders, including Wang Yi, Foreign Minister and Director of the Office of the Central Commission of Foreign Affairs, and Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
This series of diplomatic engagements underscores efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and strengthen bilateral ties amidst lingering challenges.
