Kathmandu, September 15: Nepal and India want to be “more open” in discussions on bilateral issues, according to Nepal’s Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
“We should be more open and hold frank discussions about our bilateral issues,” Ms. Koirala said adding that Ms. Rao also held similar views. “If our distance increases, others would try to take advantage of it,” she pointed out.An agreement was reached to execute the projects mutually-agreed upon during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s recent visit to India. “This would help establish even better relations between the two countries,” Ms. Koirala said.
Upon her arrival, Ms. Rao said she would try to “strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two countries.” In recent days, issues such as border disputes and fake Indian currency have been a cause of concern for both nations.
Trust deficit
While border problems that surfaced in June in Dang district wherein Nepali land was allegedly encroached upon by the Sashastra Seema Bal, has resulted in a trust deficit; India, has been seriously concerned about the circulation of fake Indian currencies and the recent assault on its two priests by Maoists in the Pashupatinath temple premises.
Ms. Rao, who is here on a two-day visit, is to visit the temple on Tuesday. She is expected to meet the priests.
Sources in the Foreign Ministry here said Ms. Rao’s visit was also aimed at doing the groundwork for the coming visit here by India’s Commerce Minister to finalise the agreement on Treaty of Trade and Agreement of Cooperation to Control Unauthorized Trade, which was initialised during Mr. Nepal’s visit to India.
A whole range of issues such as an extradition treaty, fake currency, border problems, operation of direct flights from Kathmandu to six Indian cities, the Naumure Project and others will be discussed in depth when a Home-Secretary-level meeting will be held here in November first week.
—Agencies