Agreement between India and China to Resume Direct Flights After Five Years of Suspension
India announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with China to resume direct flights between the two countries after nearly five years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent political tensions.
According to AFP (Agence France-Presse), the announcement came at the end of a visit by India’s foreign minister to New Delhi, marking a new sign of improvement in the strained relations between the world’s two most populous countries.
Foreign Minister Vikram Misri is the highest-ranking Indian diplomat to visit China since a clash between the soldiers of the two countries in the Himalayas along their shared border in 2020, which led to a deterioration in relations.
A statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the visit by the senior envoy to Beijing resulted in the agreement “in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries.”
It added that “relevant technical authorities on both sides will meet and discuss an updated framework for this purpose soon.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that both parties agreed to enhance diplomatic efforts “to restore mutual trust” and address pending trade and economic issues.
