India-China agree to resume Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights

In a significant step towards mending ties, India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra this summer, following a two-day foreign secretary-level meeting in Beijing. The pilgrimage, suspended since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and strained bilateral relations, will now be revived under existing agreements, with modalities to be worked out by the relevant mechanisms, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu as part of the India-China Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism. The discussions, as agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their October meeting in Kazan, focused on rebuilding bilateral relations through people-centric initiatives.

The talks also resulted in an in-principle agreement to restart direct flights between the two nations. Both sides will convene technical authorities to negotiate an updated framework for air connectivity at the earliest.

Additionally, the two nations agreed to convene an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of hydrological data sharing and other trans-border river cooperation initiatives.

Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit included meetings with senior Chinese officials, including Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.

The resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet, is seen as a significant move towards stabilizing relations following the Galwan Valley clash and lingering tensions. Both sides aim to rebuild trust through these steps, focusing on enhancing connectivity and cooperation.