India in favour of stable, strong Nepal: Modi

Emphasising that peace, stability and prosperity in India's neighbour Nepal was in the overall interest of both the nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "Nepal's stability is linked to India's security".

"The whole India and I are in favour of economic development of Nepal... I am confident that under your able leadership, India-Nepal relations will further strengthen and attain new heights," Modi told Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli while addressing a joint press conference with him here.

"It is clear that the stability of Nepal is linked to India's security. Prime Minister Oli and I agree that we need to face together the rising extremism and terrorism in the two countries," Modi said.

Disclosing that security agencies of India and Nepal will strengthen cooperation to deal with threats of terrorism and extremism, the prime minister vowed that open borders of the two nations will not be allowed to be misused by terrorists and criminals.

"We will not allow terrorists and criminals to misuse the open borders between the two countries.

"Security agencies of both countries will collaborate closely in this context," Modi said.

Modi also mentioned that the two countries have decided to open two more transit points along the border which he said will increase connectivity and push regional development.

On the occasion, Modi and Oli together tele-inaugurated a power transmission line between Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Dhalkebar in Nepal.

"We are working on hydro projects with combined capacity of 7,000 MW and their quick and successful completion can be a gateway to Nepal's economic prosperity," Modi said, adding that the just inaugurated power line will initially provide 80 MW electricity to Nepal but in the next two years it will provide 600 MW electricity to it.

Oli, who arrived here on Friday, is the first Nepalese prime minister to pay a bilateral visit to India since 2011 when Baburam Bhattarai had travelled to New Delhi.