Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Prime Minister Wang Yi discuss resumption of direct flights | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Direct flights between India and China may finally resume for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. The issue was discussed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Politburo Member of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
In a statement from Rio de Janeiro, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said: “Among the steps discussed were the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage, data sharing on cross-border rivers, direct flights between India and China, and media exchanges . ”
Travel between the two countries takes place via third countries or locations such as Singapore or Hong Kong. There is significant demand for travel, as evidenced by the sharp increase in the number of Chinese visa applicants at VFS centres.
“Ministers recognized that the withdrawal in our border areas had helped maintain peace and tranquility. The discussions focused on the next steps in India-China relations. It was agreed that a meeting of the special representatives and the mechanism of ministers and foreign ministers will take place soon,” the statement said.
“On the global situation and international issues, (Jaishankar) noted that India and China have both differences and convergences. We have worked constructively in the Brics and SCO frameworks. Our cooperation in the G20 has also been evident. (Jaishankar) said we are strongly committed to a multipolar world, including a multipolar Asia. As far as India is concerned, its foreign policy has been principled and consistent, characterized by independent thought and action. We are against one-sided approaches to establish dominance. “India does not view its relations through the prism of other countries,” it added.
The statement further noted: “Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed with EAM that India-China relations are of special importance in global politics. He noted that our leaders had agreed in Kazan on the way forward. The two ministers emphasized that stabilizing ties, managing disagreements and taking next steps must remain the focus.”