India visit cleared past misunderstandings: Oli

Kathmandu, Apr. 8: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that his India visit was successful in clearing the past misunderstandings between the two neighbours. 

"Our visit was not focused on cosmetic or artificial things, it was realistic and result oriented," said Oli as he talked to the journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) upon his arrival from 3-day visit of the southern neighbour.

 He said that the Nepali delegation represented the feelings, opinions and interest of Nepali people in India and the latter accepted the current public opinion.

According to him, Nepal's foreign relations starts with friendship which is open and bilateral, and respects the legitimate interest, sovereignty, national integrity and dignity of its friends. Such friendship relies on the dignity of the friends and bestows bilateral benefits. 

"These all elements are applied to India. Our bilateral relations should be just and well managed," said Oli. 

He stated that the two countries deliberated on the border disputes and Terai inundation issues, and discussed the ways to end the problems and misunderstandings at the earliest. "Serious bilateral discussions will be followed and remedies would be implemented to end the inundation in Terai as soon as possible."

According to Oli, Nepali delegation raised its concerns to the delay in Tanakpur and Pancheshwor projects, and in response Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued directives to the Uttarakhand government to expedite the process to develop the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project. 

Finding long-term solution to inundation in Terai and expediting the works for the construction of bridge over the Mahakali River would be given priority. 

India on Saturday has agreed to construct a new electric railway line connecting the border city of Raxaul in India with Kathmandu with its financial support. The two neighbours decided to launch a 'New partnership in agriculture' to give fresh momentum to bilateral cooperation in agriculture that includes infrastructure development such as irrigation, laboratories and other areas like education, training, development facilities and exchange of scientists. 

Similarly, the two countries have agreed to develop inland waterways for the movement of cargo, providing additional access to the sear for Nepal. 

Similarly, there were positive discussions on providing additional air routes to Nepal and facilitating Nepali gas bullets in India as well as measures to lower trade deficit with India.

India has been reluctant to provide additional air routes to Nepal which the latter desperately needs immediately after the construction of the Gautam Buddha International Airport or the Second International Airport in Nijgadh of Bara. Similarly, Nepal's plan to use Nepali gas bullets to import LP gas from India has stuck as the Indian authorities denied to issue non-explosive certificates to Nepali bullets. 

"Both the countries will support in expediting the Integrated Check Posts and Postal Highway. 

Similarly, India has agreed to provide concessional loans for the post-quake reconstruction works and other priority projects," Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradip Gyawali read from the PM's statement.

The two neighbours also exchanged their views on controlling cross-border crime and human trafficking, and there was positive progress in those issues, said the PM. 

"We have talked about various other issues that are not covered in the joint statement. Positive developments will be seen in near future. It's not time to play with the issues between the two neighbours but to resolve them through dialogue and other bilateral efforts," Oli said. 

Indicating the future Nepal-India friendship he said, picture would speak itself. 

As Gyawali read out from the statement, there were positive discussions with the Indian private sector to promote the Foreign Direct Investment and tourism in Nepal while strengthening of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional network and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) were also talked about where Nepal expressed its official stand.

PM Oli met with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, various ministers, political leaders, business leaders, intellectuals and academicians, film artistes and civil society organisations. 

PM Oli and his Indian counterpart Modi on Saturday issued joint statement with a resolution to work together to take the bilateral relations between the two nations to newer heights on the basis of equality, mutual trust, respect and benefits. 

They underlined the need for expeditious implementation of bilateral projects in Nepal and to reinvigorate the existing bilateral mechanism to promote cooperative agenda across diverse spheres. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 9 April 2018.