- By Priyanka Koul
- Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant move to enhance India-China relations, Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri visited Beijing on 26-27 January to participate in the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism meeting between the two countries. This meeting, held on 27 January, was part of a broader effort to build on agreements made during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. The two leaders had laid the groundwork for a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, and Misri's visit marked the next step in bringing these discussions to fruition.
As part of this effort, both sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025, with relevant mechanisms to discuss the operational details in accordance with existing agreements. Additionally, they agreed to convene an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of hydrological data exchange and other collaborative efforts concerning trans-border rivers.
The two sides also agreed to take appropriate actions to promote people-to-people exchanges, including media and think-tank interactions. They also reached a preliminary agreement to restart direct air services, with both countries' technical authorities set to meet soon to update the framework for this.
Acknowledging that year, 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China, both countries agreed to use this milestone to enhance public diplomacy efforts and increase mutual awareness, aiming to rebuild trust among their people. They plan to organise various activities to commemorate this anniversary.
