India, China decide to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, direct flights

India and China also agreed to promote and facilitate people-to-people contacts, especially between media and think tanks.

India and China on Monday decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, stopped since 2020. The decision was made at the meeting between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

The Kailash Mansarovar seen from the flight.(PTI Photo)

“The relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities for doing so as per existing agreements. They also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss resumption of provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers,” a statement by the ministry of external affairs stated.

Both sides also agreed in principle to resume direct flights. India and China also agreed to promote and facilitate people-to-people contacts, especially between media and think tanks.

“The two sides took stock of the extant mechanisms for functional exchanges. It was agreed to resume these dialogues step by step and to utilize them to address each other’s priority areas of interest and concern. Specific concerns in the economic and trade areas were discussed with a view to resolving these issues and promoting long-term policy transparency and predictability,” the MEA added.

Vikram Misri on 2-day visit to China

Vikram Misri is on a two-day visit to Beijing for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China.

The MEA said that the resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains.

India has maintained that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

Following the completion of the disengagement process in Demchok and Depsang, Indian and Chinese militaries also resumed patrolling activities in the two areas after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.