Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in a joint address with PM Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India's 'Neighbourhood first' policy after discussions on wide-ranging issues amid a review of ties between the neighboring countries. "Today we made an extensive review of the progress in our relations and renewed our commitment to further strengthen this relation and cooperation," he said. The remarks come after the exchange of agreements between India and Nepal in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’. They jointly set into motion the construction of several infrastructure projects after their talks.
"The relation between Nepal and India is age-old and multifaceted. These relations stand built on a solid foundation on one hand by the rich tradition of Civilisational, cultural, and socio-economic linkage and on the other by the two countries' firm commitment to the time-tested principle of sovereign equality, mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation," the Nepal Prime Minister said.
Appreciating PM Modi's 'Neighbourhood first' policy, he said they discussed wide-ranging matters including "trade transit investment, hydropower development, power trade irrigation, agriculture, connectivity, including year-long entry routes, Railways, Bridge, transmission line, expansion of Petroleum pipeline, construction of integrated check posts as well as cultural and people to people contact."
The Nepal Prime Minister recalled his previous visits to India in September 2008 and then twice in September and October 2016 and said that he brings the greeting and best wishes of the Government and people of Nepal. "We are happy to see the remarkable transformation of India's economy and development landscape under the able leadership of Prime Minister Modi," Prachanda said congratulating PM Modi on the completion of 9 years of his government.
He invited his Indian counterpart to a visit to Nepal saying, "I have extended a cordial invitation to PM Modi to visit Nepal. I look forward to welcoming him in Nepal."
PM Modi said that he and his Nepalese counterpart have taken many important decisions today to make their nations' partnership a super hit in the future.
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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' at Hyderabad House in Delhi for bilateral talks. In the delegation-level talks held today, both sides inked a number of agreements. The Nepalese Prime Minister is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.
Nepal is an important country for New Delhi as the country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The land-locked nation relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India. The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations between the two countries.
It is Prachanda's first bilateral trip abroad after assuming the top office in December 2022 and overall his fourth visit to India. On Friday morning, the Nepalese Prime Minister will travel to Indore and will leave for Kathmandu the next day.