India to shoulder Nepal in development efforts

Kathmandu, May 12: India has agreed to provide greater Nepal’s access to the Indian market, enhance the overall bilateral trade and facilitate Nepal’s transit trade.

According to the Nepal-India joint statement issued in Kathmandu on Saturday during the State Visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nepal and India have agreed to jointly initiate a comprehensive review of the bilateral Treaty of Trade and to consider amendments to the Treaty of Transit and related agreements.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Modi welcomed the outcome of the recently held Inter-Governmental Committee meeting on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to control unauthorised trade.

The two PMs underscored the importance of trade and economic ties between India and Nepal, and emphasised the need for regular convening of bilateral mechanisms, including the Nepal-India Joint Commission at the Foreign/External Affairs Ministers level, to review the overall state of bilateral relations, and for the expeditious implementation of economic and development cooperation projects.

They directed their respective officials to address outstanding matters by September 2018, with the objective of advancing cooperation in all areas.

Nepal and India agreed on the effective implementation of the agreements made in the past and bilateral initiatives in agriculture, railway linkages and inland waterways development as agreed upon by the two sides during the recent visit of Prime Minister Oli to India.

“Recognising the vibrant people-to-people contacts and friendly bilateral ties, the two Prime Ministers directed the respective officials to expand cooperation in the civil aviation sector, including early technical discussion on additional air entry routes to Nepal by the respective technical teams,” the joint statement read.

The two Prime Ministers had held delegation-level talks Friday evening.

They jointly laid the foundation stone of the 900-megawatt Arun-III Hydroelectricity Project in Sankhuwasabha district by pressing a switch from Hotel Dwarika’s Friday evening.

They expressed the hope that operationalisation of the project would help enhance cooperation in the generation and trade of power between the two countries, and agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the power sector in line with the bilateral Power Trade Agreement.

Nepali PM Oli and Indian PM Modi launched the Nepal-India Ramayana Circuit connecting Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita, with Ayodhya and other sites associated with the epic Ramayana. They also flagged off direct bus services between Janakpur and Ayodhya.

PM Modi visited Janakpur and Muktinath, worshipped at the Janaki Temple in Janakpur, Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu and Muktinath Temple in Mustang. He was offered civic felicitations in Janakpur and Kathmandu.

Speaking at the civic reception ceremony in Kathmandu on Saturday, he said that India was ready to shoulder Nepal’s development efforts. He pledged his support to Nepal’s journey towards economic progress and prosperity.

Modi called on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, and also held a meeting with the former PMs. 

Senior leader of the political parties and ministers paid courtesy calls on him.

After concluding his two-day visit to Nepal, Modi left for New Delhi Saturday evening. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali bid him farewell at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Speaking with the press after the farewell, Foreign Minister Gyawali said that the visit of the Indian Prime Minister had strengthened the bilateral ties between the countries and expressed the hope that there would be concrete progress in terms of realising Indian investment in agriculture and infrastructure development and obtaining Indian cooperation in reducing Nepal’s trade deficit.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 May 2018.