New Delhi: In a significant development for India-China relations, the two nations have initiated talks on resuming direct flights and restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

These issues were brought to the table during a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

This marked the first high-level dialogue between the two countries since the completion of troop disengagement in the sensitive Depsang and Demchok areas of eastern Ladakh. The ministers acknowledged that the disengagement process had fostered greater peace and stability along the border.

Direct flights between the two countries were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have not resumed, despite the lifting of travel restrictions. The same year, tensions escalated in Ladakh, beginning in May with a military standoff that culminated in a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June.

The incident resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, with unconfirmed casualties on the Chinese side. This led to a significant military buildup and a series of talks aimed at de-escalating the situation.