PM Modi highlights ‘HIT’ formula for Indo-Nepal relations, says new agreements will make partnership
New Delhi, INDIA(PTI) India and Nepal will strive to take their bilateral ties to Himalayan heights and resolve all matters, including the boundary issue, in this spirit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday after holding wide-ranging talks with his Nepalese counterpart Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
In his media statement after the meeting, Modi said he and Prachanda have taken many important decisions to make the partnership between the two countries a “super hit” in the future.
The two leaders held high-level talks and jointly launched several infrastructure projects and signed seven agreements to boost cooperation in key areas like trade and energy.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ here on New Delhi for a Four-Day Official Visit to India today at the cordial invitation of the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by his daughter Ms. Ganga Dahal.
Nepal is bordered on three sides by India, with an open frontier allowing traffic without passports or visas.
Modi said they agreed to further deepen their historic ties and “take our relations to Himalayan heights.” He said they agreed to resolve all their outstanding issues, including a border dispute.
Dahal said at a joint news conference that they reviewed ongoing projects and discussed ways to further cooperate in connectivity, energy and people-to-people contact.
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Nepal-India Relations
Nepal and India enjoy excellent bilateral ties. Founded on the age-old connection of history, culture, tradition and religion, these relations are close, comprehensive and multidimensional and are pronounced more in political, social, cultural, religious and economic engagements with each other. To add up the formal flavor to such historic relations, the two countries established diplomatic relations on 17 June 1947. The unwavering commitment to the principles of peaceful coexistence, sovereign equality, and understanding of each other’s aspirations and sensitivities has been the firm foundation on which our bilateral relations have been growing further.
Nepal’s solemn desire to cultivate and foster the cordial and friendly ties with its neighboring countries are reflected in its long standing position of not allowing its territory to be misused by any elements inimical to India and also expects same sort of reciprocity and assurances from her. The open border between the two countries remains a unique feature of our relations. Frontier without restriction has greatly facilitated the free movements of our people to each other’s territory and enhanced interactions.
Nepal-India Economic Relations
India has been a key development partner of Nepal. The latter received strong support and solidarity from the people and Government of India in advancing its home-grown peace process as well as in the process of writing the Constitution through the elected Constituent Assembly.
Following the massive earthquakes in Nepal in April and May 2015, India promptly offered helping hands. The Government of India has also been substantially supporting Nepal’s reconstruction efforts.
The Indian cooperation started in 1952 with the construction of an air-strip at Gaucharan. Since then, India has been assisting primarily in the areas of infrastructure development and capacity development of human resources in Nepal.
Such assistance received from India has helped supplement the developmental efforts of Nepal. India’s economic assistance to Nepal has grown manifold in the past few decades, particularly since the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal in 1990.
As agreed during the State Visit to India of then Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in September 2016, a Nepal-India Joint Oversight Mechanism has been constituted co-chaired by the Foreign Secretary of Nepal and the Indian Ambassador to Nepal to review the progress made and resolve issues in the implementation of the projects under India’s economic and development cooperation.
The Mechanism meets once every two months.
(PTI and MOFA NEPAL)
