External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Monday and said that the resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is widely appreciated in India.
He extended India's support for China's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidency. Known for its religious value, cultural significance, physical beauty and exciting natural environment, Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is undertaken by several people every year.
It holds religious importance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. In his opening remarks during the meeting, Jaishankar said, "India supports a successful Chinese presidency at the SCO. Excellency, our bilateral relationship, as you have pointed, has been steadily improving since the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan last October. I am confident that my discussions in this visit will maintain that positive trajectory."
"We have marked, Excellency, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is also widely appreciated in India. Continued normalization of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes."
The Government of India organises the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra every year between June and September, through the two official routes of Lipulekh Pass (since 1981) in Uttarakhand and Nathu La Pass (since 2015) in Sikkim.
The Yatra had not taken place since 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent non-renewal of Yatra arrangements by the Chinese Side. Indian side had taken up the issue of resumption of Kailash Manasarovar Yatra with the Chinese side in its diplomatic engagements. -- ANI