KATHMANDU, JULY 16

CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is visiting New Delhi at the invitation of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party, said there were issues left by history that needed to be addressed to fully realise the potential of Nepal-India relations and bilateral cooperation.

Addressing a programme organised by the Foundation for Public Awareness and Policy, Dahal said matters related to the 1950 treaty, boundary issues, and the EPG report needed to be resolved in good faith through diplomatic efforts and dialogue.

Good neighbourliness could make our relations problem-free, he said.

The commonality between Nepal and India and the state of engagement has created synergy for a robust interdependence that we must capitalise on.

The power trade cooperation vision statement issued during Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in April will facilitate seamless power trade between Nepal and India, Dahal said. Capitalising on this vision, regional power trade could be explored on the basis of BBIN cooperation.

India's slogan of 'sab ka sath, sabka vikas' can help promote cooperation in trade, transit, hydropower and connectivity.

Nepal does not allow anybody to use its land against its neighbours and Nepal expects the same from India, he said.

Nepal-India relations are multi-faceted and they go beyond the formal interactions between the two governments.

Stating that Sher Bahadur Deuba had attached great importance to Nepal's relations with India, Dahal said Nepal and India should join hands in their fight to uplift the lives of people.

PM Deuba's visit to India in April had generated a new momentum in our relations, he added.

Stating that Nepal and India were endowed with natural and human resources, Dahal said Nepal and India's resources needed to be translated into wealth. Nepal needs to realise its export potential given the alarming rate of trade deficit that Nepal has with India. More favourable market exchanges and trade facilitation from India is needed to help Nepal realise its trade potential, he argued. He thanked the government of India for its assistance to Nepal in the aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha earthquakes. He added that he expected India's favourable response for additional air entry route for Nepal.

Dahal meets Jaishankar

On the second day of his India visit, CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal met Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar in New Delhi.

Jaishankar tweeted that he was pleased to welcome Dahal to India on his visit at the invitation of BJP President JP Nadda. A productive discussion on strengthening our neighbourly relationship with a focus on economic cooperation was held.

Reflecting our Neighbourhood First policy, India will remain a steadfast partner of Nepal in its quest for progress and prosperity, said Jaishankar.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.