External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has made a two-day visit to Nepal(August 21-22, 2019) for participating 5th Joint Commission Meeting 2019 between two countries. This is Jaishankar’s first visit to Nepal since he assumed office on June 2019.
Aim:
The purpose of the visit is to review bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation between India & Nepal.
Arrival:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal, where he was received by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, its Ambassador to India H E Nilamber Acharya and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri.
5th India- Nepal Joint Commission meeting 2019 held in Kathmandu
On August 21, 2019, The 5th India- Nepal Joint Commission meeting 2019 was held in Kathmandu, Nepal to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. EAM Jaishankar and his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali co-chaired the meeting along with their respective delegations.
Discussion:
- The meet discussed the matters related to international, regional and sub-regional cooperation.
- The joint meeting reviewed the overall state of bilateral relations, and various areas of cooperation such as connectivity and economic partnership, trade and transit, power and water resources, culture, education and other matters of mutual interest.
- The commission expressed happiness over the completion of bilateral projects, such as Motihari- Amlekhgunj Petroleum Products Pipeline, 4 segments of Hulaki Roads & progress made in Jayanagar-Janakpur and Jogbani-Biratnagar sections of cross-border railway projects and Integrated Check Post in Biratnagar, Nepal.
- The 2 sides expressed satisfaction over progress in 3 new areas (Raxaul-Kathmandu Electrified Rail Line, Inland Waterways and New Partnership in Agriculture) which were agreed during Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s visit to India in April 2018. The projects included
MoU signed:
- An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Nepal’s Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) on food safety and standards.
- A cheque amounting 2.45 billion Nepali Rupees(INR 153 crore) was also handed over to Government of Nepal towards reimbursement for reconstruction of 50,000 houses in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts.
- As part of the INR 500 crore commitment made by India towards strengthening the roads in the Terai region, India also handed over a cheque of INR 80.71 crore for the construction of Hulaki Marga (Postal Roads) in the Terai region of Nepal.
Meeting on the sidelines of the meeting
Jai Shanker meets Nepal’s Prime Minister(PM) K P Sharma Oli:
On August 22, 2019, EAM Dr. Jaishankar has paid a courtesy call to Nepal prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli at his office and they discussed the matter of bilateral and mutual interests.
- Jaishankar has assured Oli that India wants to take India Nepal relations in new dimensions. He also stated that India supports Nepal’s change federal republic system.
- PM Oli has explained his friendly relations with Prime minister Narendra Modi and he stated that Nepal wants to get benefits from the economic development of India.
EAM Jaishankar meets Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari
On August 22, 2019, EAM Dr. Jaishankar has paid a courtesy call to Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas, Nepal.
Bilateral talks:
EAM Jaishankar held “productive discussions” with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Gyawali and they reviewed the bilateral relations and identified priority areas for cooperation between two countries.
About Nepal:
♦ Capital: Kathmandu
♦ Currency: Nepalese rupee