India offers aid to Nepal's projects of national priority

India on Thursday offered to aid Nepal in its projects of national priority as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba held delegation-level talks here.

"In response to the Prime Minister of Nepal highlighting priority projects for Nepal's growth and development, the Prime Minister of India underlined that India stands ready to provide economic and development cooperation assistance," a joint statement issued following the talks said.

"The two sides reached in principle agreement for Indian grant assistance to support the establishment of Technical Institute in far west of Nepal, and the G.P. Koirala National Centre for Respiratory Diseases in Tanahun," it said.

The two leaders also agreed that both governments would explore the feasibility of cooperation on the following projects: Kushinagar-Lumbini-Kapilavastu and Bardibas-Birgunj railways; upgrade of Birgunj-Pathlaiya-Narayanghat and Butwal-Pokhara roads into expressways; international airport at Nijgadh; motorable bridges on Mahakali river; Maitri Bridge at Birgunj-Raxaul border; development of dry port at Dodhara Chandani; developing a special economic zone in Nepal; development of new 132 KV transmission lines; Butwal (Nepal)-Gorakhpur (India) cross-border transmission line; and Lumki (Nepal)-Bareilly (India) cross-border transmission line.

Deuba, heading a high-level delegation, arrived here on Wednesday on a five-day visit to India. This is his first foreign trip after assuming office in June this year and the fourth to India as Prime Minister.

--IANS

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