India and China to resume direct flights and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
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India and China have agreed to take steps toward normalising bilateral ties, with plans to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights between the two nations.
The decisions were made during two days of foreign secretary-level discussions held in Beijing, as part of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing marked a significant development in India-China relations.
As per a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, both sides reviewed the current state of bilateral ties and outlined people-centric measures to rebuild and stabilise the relationship. These discussions align with agreements reached between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their October meeting in Kazan.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet, will resume during the summer, with details to be finalised through relevant mechanisms. The yatra has been on hold since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, and relations between the two nations further strained following the Galwan Valley clash.
The resumption of this culturally and religiously significant pilgrimage is viewed as a major step toward fostering goodwill between the two nations.
India and China have also agreed in principle to reinstate direct air connectivity. Technical authorities from both sides will meet soon to develop a framework for resuming flights, which were also suspended during the pandemic.
Both nations plan to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of hydrological data sharing and collaboration on trans-border river management.
During his visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with key Chinese officials, including Politburo Member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Minister of the International Department Liu Jianchao. These engagements underscore the intention of both nations to rebuild their relationship through dialogue and cooperation.
