Important Meeting Between Foreign Ministers of India and China on Strengthening Bilateral Relations; Discussions on Border Issues, Kailash Mansarovar, and Direct Flights

Important Meeting Between Foreign Ministers of India and China on Strengthening Bilateral Relations; Discussions on Border Issues, Kailash Mansarovar, and Direct Flights

Johannesburg, South Africa - February 20, 2025: On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa, India's Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had an important meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During this meeting, they discussed matters concerning peace and tranquility in border areas, the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, flight connectivity, and travel facilities.

Dr. Jaishankar mentioned in a tweet, "This morning, I had the opportunity to meet China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting."

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the discussions primarily focused on border peace and tranquility, the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, direct flights, and travel facilities.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Dr. Jaishankar also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He is currently on a two-day visit to South Africa for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting.

This meeting comes at a time when India and China are working towards rebuilding their bilateral relationship. Relations had soured significantly following China's aggression at the border in 2020, which led to a military standoff that has not yet been fully resolved. However, last year, India and China were able to reach a partial understanding to resolve some aspects of the standoff, marking a step towards improving bilateral relations.

At the G20 summit, which was notably absent of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Dr. Jaishankar addressed a session titled "Global Geopolitical Situation," where he remarked, "The global geopolitical situation remains difficult by any definition. It includes the accumulated challenges of the Covid pandemic, conflict situations, financial pressures, food security, and climate concerns."

This meeting took place amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts between India and China to address bilateral issues and regional challenges.