KATHMANDU, New Delhi (Tip): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on June 1 vowed to resolve the vexed boundary dispute in the spirit of friendship even as the two sides signed several major pacts including one on increasing New Delhi’s import of power from the neighbouring country to 10,000 megawatt in the next 10 years from the current 450 megawatt.
In the wide-ranging talks between Modi and Prachanda, the Indian side agreed to the first trilateral power trade from Nepal to Bangladesh through India for up to 40 megawatt of power, a move that is seen as a significant step towards ensuring greater regional cooperation.
In his media statement, Modi said both sides will continue to strive in taking the India-Nepal partnership to the “Himalayan heights” and that the important decisions taken at the talks are to make the ties ‘superhit’ in the future. In total, the two sides signed seven pacts which included a revised treaty of transit that was described by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra as “once in a generation kind of an agreement” as it would provide Nepal access to inland waterways of India for the first time and expected to contribute very significantly to the expansion of trade and investment linkages.
The two sides also firmed up several new initiatives to expand cooperation in areas of hydroelectric power, petroleum infrastructure, railway connectivity, cross-border payment systems and trade and investment as part of a futuristic approach to strengthen the overall trajectory of ties.
“We will continue to strive to take our relationship to Himalayan heights. And in this spirit, we will solve all the issues, whether it is of boundary or any other issue,” Modi said in his media statement in presence of Prachanda.
In his comments, the Nepalese prime minister, who arrived here on Wednesday on a four-day visit to India, said he and Modi discussed the boundary matter. “I urge prime minister Modi-ji to resolve the boundary matter through the established bilateral diplomatic mechanism,” he said.
The ties between the two countries came under severe strain after Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh — as part of Nepal.
India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioned Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. (PTI)