Overview

• The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, suspended since 2020, is set to resume this year, with the Ministry of External Affairs preparing to issue a public notice soon.
• India and China have agreed in principle to restart direct flight operations, with technical teams working on finalizing the updated framework.
• The resumption of the pilgrimage and flights is part of broader efforts to rebuild ties after troop disengagement at key friction points along the LAC in October 2024.
• High-level discussions, including January talks between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, laid the groundwork for these developments.
• These initiatives coincide with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China, emphasizing confidence-building and people-to-people exchanges.