Doval, Wang Yi Discuss Border Issue and Kailash Yatra Resumption

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a Special Representatives (SRs) meeting in Beijing. This is the first such meeting since 2020. The talks were centered on finding a 'reasonable and mutually acceptable framework' for resolving the border issue and discussed the possibility of resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

The two sides also exchanged views on various bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual concern. They agreed to explore mechanisms for sharing data on cross-border rivers and border trade as part of their ongoing cooperation.

The meeting saw the two countries reiterate the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship as part of efforts to resolve the border issue, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"The SRs positively affirmed the implementation of the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas", the statement said.

The two sides agreed to “inject more vitality into this process”, which will be carried out at the next meeting in India next year, it stressed.

Apart from underlining the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity at the border, both sides emphasised the need to “ensure peaceful conditions on the ground”.

"Drawing on the learnings from the events of 2020, they discussed various measures to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border and advance effective border management", the release said.

Both sides will coordinate and guide the relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this purpose.

As part of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was also discussed. The annual pilgrimage to the sacred mount Kailash, located in the Tibet region, was last held in 2019.

The SRs met in accordance with the decision taken during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the margins of the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia. Both sides had aimed to meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace and tranquility in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the border issue.