EAM Jaishankar, Wang Yi talk border peace, Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Communist Party of China (CPC) Politburo member and his counterpart Wang Yi to take forward ties including management of peace and tranquillity on the Sino-India border besides resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as well as direct flights between the two nations this year.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi that these issues were brought up during the discussions between Jaishankar and Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg.

In his opening remarks at the meeting with Yi, Jaishankar referred to the utility of such engagements. “Such gatherings have provided an opportunity for our interaction even when our ties were going through a difficult phase.”

“We should also recognise that in a polarised global situation, our two countries have worked hard to preserve and protect the G20 as an institution. This in itself testifies to the importance of international cooperation.”

“Since our last meeting in Rio during the G20 Summit in November 2024, there have been some notable developments. Our NSA and foreign secretary have visited China and there have been discussions about various aspects of our relationship,” Jaishankar said, adding, “these have included management of peace and tranquillity in the border areas as well as other dimensions of our ties.”