New Delhi: India and China agreed on Monday to restart the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been halted since 2020. The agreement came after discussions between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“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 said. Both nations also reached an agreement in principle to restart direct flights. That apart, India and China decided to encourage and support people-to-people exchanges, particularly between media organisations and think tanks.
Dialogues to resolve trade
“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 is visiting Beijing for two days to attend the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism meeting between India and China. According to the MEA, the revival of this bilateral mechanism stems from an understanding reached at the leadership level to explore the future course of India-China relations, covering political, economic and people-to-people engagement.
What is Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, China. It is considered one of the most revered and challenging pilgrimages in Hinduism. Mount Kailash is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, while Lake Mansarovar is considered sacred as it is said to have been created by Lord Brahma.
