Foreign Secretaries of India and Nepal hold Bilateral meeting

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and his Nepal counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi yesterday. The Foreign Secretaries reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation between India and Nepal, including economic and commercial cooperation, enhancing connectivity, development cooperation, trade, culture, and people-people relations.

They noted the progress on many projects and initiatives announced during the recent visits of Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India in April this year and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal in May. Both Foreign Secretaries appreciated the recent progress in bilateral cooperation in power sector including through export of power from Nepal to India.

They agreed that both sides will work to further strengthen such cooperation in keeping with the Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation. Both sides welcomed recent signing of the MoUs between NHPC, India and IBN, Nepal on the development of West Seti and SR-6 projects.

The progress made in operationalisation of Kurta-Bijalpura segment of Jayanagar-Bardibas rail link and Bathnaha-Nepal Custom Yard segment of Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link, was noted with satisfaction. The Nepali side appreciated the Covid assistance provided by India during the pandemic and also thanked the Indian side for keeping the supply lines of trade open, even during the peak of the lockdown.

Both sides agreed to expeditiously progress on project proposals for the Ramayana Circuit. They also agreed to expeditiously implement extension of petroleum pipeline from Amlekhgunj to Chitwan and construction of an LPG pipeline from Motihari to Chitwan. The Nepal Foreign Secretary arrived in New Delhi yesterday on a two day visit to India.