KATHMANDU, MAY 16
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi made an official visit to Lumbini today at the invitation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti.
Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, welcomed Modi on his arrival at the Lumbini helipad this morning.
Modi and Deuba laid the foundation of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone today.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Modi was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and other senior officials of the Government of India.
The two prime ministers held bilateral talks in Lumbini.
They discussed promoting cooperation in connectivity, early supply of fertilisers, expeditious conclusion of the revised Transit Treaty, its protocols, and memorandum, review of the treaty of trade, additional air entry routes, hydropower generation, culture and tourism including Buddhist circuit and Ramayana circuit, education and academic collaboration, increasing the threshold of carrying Indian currency by individuals, and cooperation at regional and multilateral forums in matters of mutual interest.
The two sides discussed infrastructure development including the dry port and integrated check posts in Chandani Dodhara as well as bridges linking Purnagiri Mai, Uttarakhand, in India and Parshuram Dham in Dadeldhura, Nepal; and Jhulaghat over the Mahakali River.
Prime Minister Deuba requested the Government of India to consider constructing Motigada-Fattepur-Rampur Road in Udayapur district of Nepal under Indian grant assistance.
In the context of official inauguration and commencement of commercial operation of the Gautam Buddha International Airport, Prime Minister Deuba stressed that the airport would further facilitate connectivity, cultural linkages, and people-to-people movements and promote cultural tourism. He also requested additional air entry routes from Mahendranagar, Nepalgunj, and Janakpur. The prime minister of India assured that authorities concerned in India would take up the matters raised by Prime Minister Deuba.
PM Deuba requested for seamless power trade on a long-term basis under mutually beneficial terms. The two sides expressed satisfaction that Arun III project was progressing well and welcomed the signing and exchange of MoU between Nepal Electricity Authority and SJVN Ltd. India for the development of Arun-IV hydropower project.
The two prime ministers stressed the importance of hydropower for clean energy and noted that immense potential existed for Public-Private Partnership in hydropower sector, according to MoFA. Prime Minister Deuba invited interested companies from India such as NHPC for the development of West Seti Hydroelectricity project. The two prime ministers agreed to take up the Pancheswor Project with priority.
The two sides also agreed in principle to establish sister city relations between Lumbini and Kushinagar.
Earlier this morning, the prime ministers of Nepal and India visited the Mayadevi temple and worshipped at the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.
The two prime ministers laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage at the Lumbini Monastic Zone.
The two prime ministers attended the special ceremony organised by the Lumbini Development Trust in Lumbini International Buddhist Meditation Centre and assembly hall in the afternoon. In their address, both prime ministers highlighted the importance of Buddha's teachings of peace, harmony, and mutual respect.
Prime Minister Deuba highlighted the eternal, archaeological and historical value of Lumbini, the fountain of Buddhism, world peace and harmony and said the divine footprints of Lord Buddha continued to inspire our pursuit of peace and sustainable development.
The two prime ministers also witnessed the exchange of memoranda of understanding related to cooperation and collaboration in the academic field and power sector: Those MoUs include the MoU between the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on the Establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian studies, MoU between Kathmandu University , Nepal, and ICCR on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies, MoU for Cooperation between Kathmandu University, Nepal and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) The MoUs include the letter of Agreement between KU and IITM for joint degree program at the Masters' level at KU Campus, MoU between Lumbini Buddhist University and Indian Council for Cultural Relations on the Establishment of the Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies (ICCR Chair), and the MoU between Nepal Electricity Authority and SJVN Ltd for development and implementation of Arun- 4 hydropower project.
PM Modi returned in the afternoon from Lumbini. Prime Minister Modi was seen off by Prime Minister Deuba, Arzu Rana Deuba, ministers and senior officials of the Government of Nepal. MoFA said that the official visit of PM Modi to Lumbini, had contributed in deepening the socio-cultural bonds and cooperation between Nepal and India.
According to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy here today, once the International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone, Lumbini, is completed, the Centre will be a world-class facility welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the essence of the spiritual aspects of Buddhism.
It will be a modern building, NetZero compliant in terms of energy, water and waste handling, and will house prayer halls, meditation centres, library, exhibition hall, cafetaria, offices and other amenities, MEA said in its release.
They recalled the fruitful discussions in New Delhi during the official visit of PM Deuba to India from April 1-3 this year. During bilateral talks, the two prime ministers broadly overviewed Nepal-India cooperation and matters of mutual interest with a view to further enhancing the close and cordial ties between the two countries, according to MoFA.
PM Deuba thanked his Indian counterpart for the Government of India's assistance in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also expressed gratitude for India's support in the post-earthquake reconstruction, including the heritage sites.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
