India and China Set to Resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and Direct Flights in 2025

INIndia|

In a significant diplomatic development, India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has been halted since 2020 due to ongoing border tensions. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on January 26-27, 2025, in Beijing.

The two nations plan to resume the pilgrimage in the summer of 2025, with further discussions on the modalities set to take place via existing agreements. In addition to the Yatra, the countries have also agreed in principle to reinstate direct flights between India and China. Technical authorities from both sides will convene soon to negotiate an updated framework for these air services.

Furthermore, the meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations through increased people-to-people exchanges, cooperation on trans-border rivers, and the resumption of hydrological data provision. The two nations recognized the year 2025 as the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and intend to use this milestone to foster public diplomacy and restore trust between their populations.

This breakthrough follows previous high-level discussions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which aimed to maintain peace along the border and address outstanding issues from the border clashes in 2020. The recent negotiations are seen as a critical step in mending ties that have been strained since the Galwan Valley incident.

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