Inundation priority agenda in JC meet

Kathmandu, Aug. 19

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Monday that the agenda of Terai inundation would get priority in the Nepal-India Joint Commission meeting scheduled for August 21 and 22. 


“Inundation has become a recurring problem for both the countries and many people have lost their lives and property. So both the country are working seriously to resolve the flood related issues,” he said at a press meet organised at the Ministry in Singha Durbar. 


Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr. Subranyam Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation in the meeting. 


According to Minister Gyawali, two bilateral technical teams had studied the potential inundated areas across the country in the southern plains and recommended possible solutions on which the commission will discuss. 


The inundation in Nepal is the caused by Indian structures across or along the border or somewhere it is natural. 


Gyawali said that the meeting would discuss the report of Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group (EPG) which reviewed all the past treaties and agreements and offered recommendations to strengthen the bilateral trade, cultural, political and economic relations between the two countries. 


“We want India to accept the report as soon as possible and start working on it. This is a priority agenda for the meeting,” said Gyawali. 


The meeting will discuss the past agreements reached between the two countries during the high level exchanges, review them and develop new strategies if needed. 


Some projects like Amlekhgunj-Motihari Pipeline Project, Birgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP), Biratnagar ICP, Arun III Hydroelectricity Project, Jayanagar-Janakpur Railway and Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway are being satisfactorily implemented, said Minister Gyawali.


Birgunj ICP has been completed and has come into operation while Biratnagar ICP is almost completed, and Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa are moving ahead satisfactorily. Similarly, there has been significant progress about developing inland waterways in the Koshi and Narayani Rivers. Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Kathmandu-Raxaul Railway would be completed soon, said Gyawali.

“But projects like Pancheshwor are lagging. We have to find new methods and strategies for their progress,” he said. 


Similarly, the two countries are in the process to review the bilateral Commerce Treaty, Transit Treaty and Railway Service Agreement. 


Gyawali said that this is a high time to think and made changes in the agreements and take the relations to a newer height as both the countries are enjoying the majority governments, which had created foundations to unleash the potentials in both the neighbours. 


He also said that the ‘Sagarmatha Sambad’ – an international dialogue being organised by the government – would be held in March 2020, and the main agenda of the first dialogue would be climate change. 


According to him, two committees, steering and organising, are working to implement the dialogue. “This will be used as a platform to voice Nepal’s concerns on climate change, tourism, economic growth and inclusive democracy. We want to share global concerns to the international community,” he said.

He said that global warming had created alarming situation in the mountains and plains equally, and the country wanted to draw attention to the climate change impacts on Himalayas, environment and people.

Talking on the Kashmir issue, the Foreign Minister said that Nepal always wanted peace and stability in the neighbourhood. He also said that Kashmir was not Nepal’s agenda, and the government was closely watching the developments there. 

The Joint Commission Meeting will review the overall state of bilateral relations, and various areas of cooperation such as connectivity and economic partnership, trade and transit, power and water resources sectors, culture, education and other matters of mutual interest.

The Nepal-India Joint Commission was established in June 1987. Its meetings are held alternately in Nepal and India. The last meeting of the Joint Commission was held in New Delhi in October 2016. 

During the visit, Dr. Jaishankar will pay courtesy calls on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.   

Dr. Jaishankar is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on August 21 and depart for New Delhi on August 22.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 August 2019.