There is good news for Indian pilgrims, as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will resume this summer. The visit of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to China from 26 to 27 saw several notable developments take place in the India-China ties. This included the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from this summer and an agreement to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss cooperation on trans-border rivers. The Yatra which includes visit to Mountain Kailash and Mansarovar lake in Tibet, had been suspended since 2020 during the Covid Outbreak.
What Did MEA Say?
The two countries also decided to resume direct air connectivity. These leading developments coincide with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in its press release, stated that the occasion should be utilized to redouble public diplomacy efforts to create better awareness about each other and restore mutual trust and confidence among the public. It further said that the two sides will conduct a number of commemorative activities to mark this anniversary.
Regarding the resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, MEA said that the relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities for doing so as per existing agreements.
India- China Ties
During the visit, the two sides took stock of the extant mechanisms for functional exchanges. MEA said, “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 Foreign Secretary also called on Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Director of the Office of Central Commission of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, and Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China H.E. Mr. Liu Jianchao.
