India and Nepal on Wednesday discussed ways to take forward bilateral cooperation, including progress on development projects backed by New Delhi, as foreign secretary Vikram Misri met top Nepalese officials in Kathmandu as part of preparations for Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s visit to India later this month.
Misri, who arrived in Nepal for a two-day visit early on Wednesday, held talks with his counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai and met foreign minister Shisir Khanal, finance minister Swarnim Wagle, infrastructure minister Sunil Lamsal, and energy and water resources minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha.
The two foreign secretaries mainly discussed preparations for Shah’s visit, which will be his first bilateral overseas trip and is expected to happen in the third week of November. It is being seen as crucial for a reset of bilateral relations after Shah’s victory in elections held in March after a student-led uprising last year.
Misri said in televised remarks that India and Nepal, which share a unique relationship, are discussing a “number of initiatives that we want to see progress on” in the context of Shah’s upcoming visit. He also offered India’s continued support to Nepal in coping with the impact of flash floods that devastated parts of the country in August, causing nearly 1,500 deaths.
“We are each other’s partners in good times and difficult times, and we have had the opportunity to demonstrate that during the particularly challenging phase following the flooding and the aftermath of that,” Misri said. “We have extended assistance but we recognise that this incident has caused enormous damage and destruction to the infrastructure of Nepal and, as always, India stands ready to consider requests for assistance or projects that might be taken up as you move to the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.”
{{/usCountry}}“We are each other’s partners in good times and difficult times, and we have had the opportunity to demonstrate that during the particularly challenging phase following the flooding and the aftermath of that,” Misri said. “We have extended assistance but we recognise that this incident has caused enormous damage and destruction to the infrastructure of Nepal and, as always, India stands ready to consider requests for assistance or projects that might be taken up as you move to the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.”
{{/usCountry}}Rai said teams from both sides are closely coordinating on the preparations for the visit, while Misri added that sustained bilateral engagement has enabled the “resolution of many pending issues and advanced the implementation of many key initiatives”.
The talks also covered connectivity, trade, development cooperation, energy and people-to-people ties, underscoring the strong bond between the two countries, Nepal’s foreign ministry said.
The Indian embassy said on social media that Misri’s meeting with Khanal focused on prospects to expand the multifaceted bilateral partnership “presented by upcoming high-level engagements”. Misri and Wagle exchanged views on enhancing the wide-ranging economic partnership between the two countries.
Lamsal spoke to Misri about ways to bolster bilateral cooperation in infrastructure and connectivity. Misri and Shrestha reviewed ongoing projects and initiatives, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in energy and water resources.