KATHMANDU, APRIL 2
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly flagged off the Jaynagar-Kurtha railway service. The PM is currently visiting India.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a press release saying that in a historic milestone, the first broad-gauge passenger railway service connecting India and Nepal in the Jayanagar-Kurtha section was flagged off by the two prime ministers during the visit. This project was built with India's grant assistance. Both PMs jointly inaugurated the 90-kmlong 132 KVDC Solu Corridor Transmission line and substation built under the Line of Credit extended by India.
Both sides agreed to expedite progress in implementation of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, beginning with early finalisation of the Detailed Project Report, according to MEA.
The use of Indian RuPay card in Nepal was jointly launched by the two prime ministers. This will open new vistas for cooperation in financial connectivity, and is expected to facilitate bilateral tourist flows as well as further strengthen people-to-people linkages between India and Nepal, PM Deuba said in his press statement at Hyderabad House after bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Modi.
Both sides discussed the unprecedented opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector. In this regarPrime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly flagged off the Jaynagar-Kurtha railway service. The PM is currently visiting India.
d, a Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector cooperation that spells out the shared commitment as well as opportunities for win-win collaboration in power generation, transmission, and trade was concluded during the visit, the MEA said in its release.
Both prime ministers reviewed the full spectrum of the bilateral agenda covering political, economic, trade, energy, security and development issues.
PM Deuba appreciated the fresh approvals granted to Nepal Electricity Authority for the export of substantial amount of power to India, MEA stated, "He further invited greater participation of Indian companies in Nepal's hydropower development projects. The progress made in the 900 MW Arun-III hydro-electric project in Nepal was also noted." MEA said in its release. Indian PM Modi welcomed Nepal's decision to join the International Solar Alliance.
Both prime ministers also exchanged views on the economic and trade agenda and decided to accelerate action to further deepen and facilitate trade, investment and connectivity linkages. Both prime ministers welcomed the recent conclusion of the government-to-government agreement to facilitate the longterm supply of fertilisers from India to Nepal and renewal of the five-year general supply agreement for supply of petroleum products from India to Nepal.
Both sides reviewed the progress in implementation of Indian projects in Nepal, including the cross-border rail-link projects connecting Jayanagar-Kurtha-Bijalpur-Bardibas, Jogbani-Biratnagar, and Raxaul-Kathmandu.
Modi thanked Deuba for assuring the Government of Nepal's full support in resolving bottlenecks and facilitating the time-bound completion of all India-assisted projects, including National Police Academy at Kavrepalanchowk, integrated check posts at Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa, and projects under the Ramayan circuit, MEA said in its release.
It was also shared with Prime Minister Deuba that under India's 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations, India would inaugurate 75 development projects in Nepal this year.
Stating that India's relationship with Nepal was one of the main pillars of its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the MEA said the visit of the prime minister of Nepal to India would contribute to further cementing the traditional and age-old ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
The expansive and productive talks between the two prime ministers provided high-level direction and gave shape to a robust agenda for bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors, particularly those related to energy and connectivity, MEA added.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 3, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
