Saturday, August 24, 2024

Visit enhanced Nepal-India mutual harmony: Foreign Ministry

 Kathmandu, Aug.22

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has expressed her hope that her visit to India has  provided guidance to expand contacts at the highest and other levels in the future and to promote cooperation and support for mutual benefit between the two countries through bilateral mechanisms.

"My visit to India has played an important role in enhancing harmony and mutual cooperation between India and Nepal," she said while talking to journalists upon her arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu after concluding her four-day official visit to India on Thursday.

Minister Dr. Rana paid a visit to India at the invitation of the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar.

According to Dr. Rana, the visit was organised as per the high-level exchange programme between Nepal and India. "I called on Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi where we talked about the mutual interest and Nepal's concerns," she said.

During the meeting with Indian PM Modi, she extended the invitation for a state visit to Nepal on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of Nepal.

Likewise, Dr. Rana held a meeting with Dr. Jaishankar on Monday. "Issues related to bilateral relations and mutual interests as well as energy, trade and transportation, connectivity, investment, airways, infrastructure construction, flood and inundation problems, Pancheswar multi-purpose project, sports and border infrastructure were discussed in the meeting," she informed.

Earlier, in a meeting at the South Asian University on Thursday morning, Dr. Rana asked the professors of the university to conduct joint research on various common problems including the effects of climate change emerging in South Asia and suggest solutions.

"Climate change has become a burning problem in this region now. Similarly, there are many other common problems in our region. I think it will be good if the researchers and academics of this university can jointly research and suggest solutions to solve those problems," she said.

In response, the Chair of the University, Prof. K. K. Agrawal, proposed to establish a Nepal campus under the SAU.

The university is run with the participation of the member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Foreign ministers of SAARC member countries will be the ex-officio chancellor of this university.

Foreign Minister Dr. Rana also met the head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vijay Chauthaiwale.

In her maiden foreign trip after being appointed as the Foreign Minister, Dr. Rana embarked on the official visit to India on Sunday. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2024.        


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