Nepal seeks mutual cooperation and partnership with India: Dahal

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his willingness to explore newer areas of mutual cooperation and partnerships between both nations, while adding that his visit to India demonstrates the importance that the government of Nepal attaches to its relations with New Delhi.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dahal stated that his visit to India demonstrates the importance that the Government of Nepal attaches to relations with India as the two countries share an ancient, deep-rooted and vibrant friendship based on a shared cultural and civilizational ethos.

"He expressed the willingness of the Government of Nepal to explore newer areas of mutual cooperation and partnerships and to take our age-old and unique ties to new heights, while reinvigorating the existing mechanisms for enhancing mutual benefit," said the statement.

Earlier in the day, Dahal said, "I have stated times and again that government under my leadership is deeply committed in strengthening relations with its neighbours. In less that month after assuming office I have embarked my state visit to India. It is my second visit as prime minister but the context and circumstance of the two visits are vastly different."

He also thanked the Indian Government for the prompt and extensive assistance provided to Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of April 25and May12, 2015.

According to the joint statement, both Dahal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted the progress in promoting sub-regional cooperation, and agreed that the two governments should explore ways to further enhance it, particularly in the areas of trade, transit, connectivity and power.

They also stressed the importance of enhancing regional cooperation within the framework of the SAARC and the BIMSTEC.

The two heads also noted that the first meeting of the Eminent Persons Group on Nepal-India Relations was held in Kathmandu in July 2016, and hoped that the Group would work intensively and look into the totality of India-Nepal relations from independent perspective and suggest measures to consolidate and further expand the close and multi-faceted ties between the two countries.

Sharing developments in Nepal with Prime Minister Modi, Dahal said that the promulgation of the Constitution last year is a historic event in institutionalizing federal democratic republic.

He also shared the efforts made by the present Government to take all sections of Nepali society on board for the effective implementation of the constitution.

While appreciating the importance of the constitutional consolidation of democracy in Nepal, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the ongoing efforts of the Nepal Government to take all sections of the society on board for effective implementation of the Constitution.