India, Nepal vow to 'expeditiously' implement bilateral projects during high-level talks

Senior diplomats of India and Nepal held a virtual meeting to review the progress made on various India-aided developmental projects being implemented in the Himalayan nation, on Monday.

The meeting came days after Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli telephoned his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to greet him on India's 74th Independence Day, in the first high-level contact after bilateral ties came under severe strain following issuance of a new political map by Nepal in May.

Nepalese Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra led the delegations representing their respective countries during the oversight mechanism meeting.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The meeting, held virtually due to the coronavirus outbreak, assessed the progress made on various India aided development projects being implemented in Nepal.

The meeting was held under the Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism, which was set up after the State Visit to India by the Prime Minister of Nepal in September 2016 to oversee the implementation of bilateral projects and take necessary steps for their completion in time.

"The Eighth Meeting of Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism was held in Kathmandu through Video Conferencing today under the co-chairmanship of Foreign Secretary Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi and Ambassador of India to Nepal H.E. Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The meeting made a thorough review of the implementation of the projects under bilateral cooperation," a press statementby Nepal read.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the status of implementation of the on-going projects under Nepal-India bilateral cooperation covering terai roads, cross-border railways, Arun-III hydropower project, petroleum products pipelines, Pancheshwar multipurpose project, post-earthquake reconstruction, irrigation, power and transmission lines, construction of Nepal Police Academy, integrated check posts, Ramayana circuit, HICDPs, motorable bridges over Mahakali River, agriculture and cultural heritage, among others.

The statement added that both sides underlined the need for the expeditious implementation of the bilateral projects.

They agreed to undertake necessary measures to timely address problems and obstacles in the course of implementation.

The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.

Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.

In June, Nepal's Parliament approved the new political map of the country featuring areas which India maintains belong to it. In its reaction, after Nepal's lower house of parliament approved the bill, India termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by the neighbouring country.

India said Nepal's action violates an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. Prime Minister Oli has been asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to "reclaim" them from India.

The ninth meeting of the mechanism will take place on a mutually convenient date, the press release added.

(with inputs from agencies)