Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, said that the two discussed “boundary issues” with him urging his Indian counterpart to resolve all disputes through “bilateral mechanisms”. Modi, who was listening to Deuba, said that the two sides discussed that “open borders” between India and Nepal should not be misused by “undesirable elements”.

This is Deuba’s first bilateral visit abroad after becoming Modi in July 2021. He has visited India in each of his four earlier stints as Prime Minister with the last one being in 2017. The bilateral ties have been strained since May 2020 when KP Sharma Oli was the Prime Minister of Nepal when Kathmandu began making claims on some parts of Indian territory, at the instigation of anti-India and pro-China elements in his Communist-led government.

“We discussed the boundary issues. And I urged Modiji to resolve through (the) establishment (of) bilateral mechanism,” Deuba, on a three-day India visit that will also take him to Varanasi besides New Delhi, said.

Modi and Deuba jointly flagged off the inaugural run of the cross-border passenger train services between Jaynagar (India) and Kurtha (Nepal).

Addressing the event, Modi said, “Friends, Nepal prime minister Deuba ji and I agreed to give priority to business and all types of cross-border connectivity. The beginning of the Jaynagar-Kurtha railway service is a part of this.” The Jaynagar-Kurtha section is part of the 68.7 km Jayanagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link built with India's grant assistance of NPR 8.77 billion.

Modi said, “We discussed that the open borders between India and Nepal are not misused by undesirable elements. We laid emphasis on deepening cooperation between our defence and security authorities. I am confident that our conversation will be able to attain the objective of achieving the ambitious targets of the India-Nepal relations.”

Modi also added that they have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the power sector and have finalized a Joint Vision statement on power cooperation, which acts as a blueprint for the future.  They also launched the India RuPay payment card in Nepali, which will start a new chapter on financial connectivity, Modi said.

The two leaders also discussed other projects, such as helping Nepal build a Nepal police academy, similar to the one India has done for the Maldives, more Integrated check posts and a common Ramayana circuit.

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shrinlga said talks between Modi and Deuba were positive and "forward-looking". The duo discussed issues that covered areas like security, development and trade, Shringla said.

“Deuba thanked PM Modi for standing by them during the Covid-19 pandemic and supplying them vaccines, medicines and medical oxygen,” Shringla was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

In his media statement, Modi said the relationship between India and Nepal was unique and could not be found in any other part of the world. He said India had remained a firm companion in Nepal's journey for peace, prosperity and development.

(SAM)