Kathmandu, Aug 12 (PTI) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday held wide-ranging discussions with his Nepalese counterpart Sewa Lamsal and the two top diplomats reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects and discussed opportunities for further collaboration.
Misri’s two-day visit is the first by the Indian foreign secretary to Nepal after the formation of the new government led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli last month.
“Their wide-ranging discussions covered various aspects of the multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
It said both foreign secretaries reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects and discussed opportunities for further collaboration.
“Both sides committed to deepening bilateral cooperation and addressing shared challenges,” the Nepalese Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X.
A statement issued by the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said the two sides reviewed the overall aspects of Nepal and India relations, including cooperation between the two countries in the areas of energy and power sector, physical and digital connectivity, agriculture, tourism trade and transit, and people-to-people relations.
The two foreign secretaries agreed to continue advance engagements between the two sides, including through regular bilateral mechanisms, it said.
Misri also called on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba.
“Ways to further strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in a variety of mutually beneficial areas were discussed during these meetings,” the MEA said.
During the various engagements, both sides affirmed the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal which are deeply rooted in historical, cultural, civilisational and people-to-people ties, it said.
“Both sides noted with satisfaction the substantial progress achieved in the recent years in bilateral cooperation, especially in the various areas of connectivity – physical, digital, energy as well as people-to-people, which is manifested in the steady implementation of infrastructure projects related to roads, bridges, Integrated Check Posts, cross-border railways as well as petroleum pipelines,” the MEA statement said.
Both sides also appreciated the progress made in the mutually beneficial partnership in the field of power sector cooperation, which has seen substantial progress in recent years.
In this context, it was noted with satisfaction that the manifold increase in Nepal’s hydropower export to India in the last 2-3 years has created an additional source of revenue for Nepal and of clean energy for India, the MEA said. It added that the role of power sector cooperation in Nepal’s graduation from LDC status in 2026 was also highlighted.
Misri also met other senior political leaders and members of the civil society.
On Sunday, Misri met Prime Minister Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel and discussed ways to advance bilateral cooperation in various sectors with the Himalayan nation since the formation of a new government here.
He conveyed to them greetings from the leadership in India and also briefed them on the progress being made in various aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
During the visit, Muisri along with Mani Ram Gelal, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development of Nepal, also jointly inaugurated the ‘Nepal Bhasa Parishad’, a historical residential building associated with eminent Nepali poet, Kavi Kesari Chittadhar ‘Hridaya’ in Raktakali in the heart of Kathmandu’s old town.
This is one of the 28 cultural sector reconstruction projects undertaken with the Government of India’s assistance after the devastating 2015 earthquake.
“Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The Foreign Secretary’s visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and helped in advancing our bilateral ties further,” the MEA said.
During the meeting between Misri and Foreign Minister Deuba, they “discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest & ways to further strengthen India-Nepal bilateral cooperation across all sectors,” the Indian Embassy here earlier said in a post on X.
“On the occasion, Minister Rana raised the issue of air connectivity and requested the government of India to provide additional air routes to Nepal,” said a press advisor to Nepal’s Foreign Minister.
The minister also raised the matters relating to the establishment of laboratories in the border areas to test the quality of vegetables and fruits being imported from India through various border points, the press advisor said.
She also requested the Indian government to take the initiative to move forward with the remaining tasks of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, according to the Foreign Ministry sources.
They also discussed matters relating to the Tanakpur dam and Badganga as well as providing Indian assistance for controlling floods in the Rapti River and minimisation of risks associated with this.
Rana also raised the issue of giving continuity to dialogues relating to trade and transit with India, according to the sources.
Misri also attended a reception hosted by Lamsal before leaving Kathmandu upon completion of his two-day official visit to Nepal.
