NEW DELHI, Aug 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met new Nepalese Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and said that India looks forward to continued momentum in the development partnership.
In a post on X, the PM said that India and Nepal share close civilizational ties and a multi-faceted partnership.
“Pleased to welcome Nepal’s Foreign Minister @Arzuranadeuba. India and Nepal share close civilizational ties and a progressive and multifaceted partnership. Looking forward to continued momentum in our development partnership.”
According to Kathmandu Post, Foreign Minister Rana handed over an invitation from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to PM Modi for a state visit to Nepal, the embassy said. “Views were exchanged on further deepening Nepal-India cooperation,” it said.
Earlier, she met EAM Jaishankar and held talks at Hyderabad House.
In a post on X, the EAM said:
“Pleased to welcome FM @Arzuranadeuba of Nepal on her first official visit abroad. “Discussed the multifaceted India-Nepal cooperation including in energy, trade, connectivity and infrastructure development. “Glad to note that Nepal will be exporting close to 1000 MW of electricity to India, a new milestone. “Our Neighbourhood First policy and unique people-to-people & cultural connect propels our relationship forward.”
An Indian readout said:
“The two Foreign Ministers held bilateral talks on August 19, covering the full range of the India-Nepal bilateral partnership. The Foreign Ministers reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects and also discussed opportunities for further collaboration in the existing and new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
“India and Nepal are close and friendly neighbours with deep historical, civilizational, cultural, and people to people linkages. There has been sustained momentum in the recent years in the implementation of India assisted projects in Nepal, which is especially manifested in the fields of connectivity ? physical, digital as well as people to people, including in the infrastructure and other projects related to cross-border railways, roads and bridges, Integrated Check Posts, petroleum pipelines, and digital financial connectivity.
“The two sides also noted the progress made in the mutually beneficial partnership in the field of power sector cooperation, where Nepal can now export electricity close to 1,000 MW, creating additional source of revenue for Nepal and clean energy for India. In this connection, both Foreign Ministers noted the unprecedented opportunities in the power sector cooperation that would be available on implementation of the Long Term Power Trade Agreement.
“Noting that sports is emerging as another area of cooperation between India and Nepal, the recent facilitation of providing training for the Nepali cricket team at the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru was also welcomed.
“During her visit, Foreign Minister of Nepal also called on the Prime Minister. Ways for further strengthening India-Nepal cooperation in a variety of mutually beneficial areas were discussed in the meeting.
“Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The Foreign Minister’s visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss and identify newer areas of cooperation to further advance our bilateral ties.”
After the meeting, Minister Rana expressed her belief that the visit would further strengthen the centuries-old bond between Nepal and India.
“We discussed bilateral interests, various aspects of Nepal-India relations and the exchange of mutual cooperation,” Rana wrote on social media ‘X’.
This is her first foreign visit after she assumed office on July 15.
Her visit is the first high-level visit from Nepal to India since the formation of the government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli last month. (UNI)
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