New Delhi:
India and China held two-day foreign secretary-level talks in which it was decided to resume the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra in the summer. The relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities to do so under existing agreements, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. There was also an agreement in principle for the resumption of direct flights between the two nations.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing today for a meeting of the India-China Foreign Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister mechanism.
As agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their meeting in Kazan in October, both sides reviewed the status of bilateral relations between India and China and agreed to take certain people-centric measures to stabilize and rebuild the links.
The resumption of the yatra is considered a big step in this direction.
The yatra, which involves a visit to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, has been suspended since the 2020 Covid outbreak.
Post-Covid, there was no renewal of agreements by China amid tense relations between Beijing and New Delhi. The situation worsened after the Galwan clash.
The meeting also agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries; The relevant technical authorities of both sides will meet and negotiate an updated framework for this purpose at an early date.
An early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism will also be held to discuss resumption of hydrological data provision and other cooperation related to transboundary rivers.
During his visit, the Foreign Minister visited Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party. of China’s Liu Jianchao, the ministry said.
By
