Indo-Nepal relations are back on track: experts

Indo-Nepal relations are back on track after bilateral ties were strained following the promulgation of a new Constitution that sparked violent protests by Madhesis, foreign policy experts said today.
Nepal and India both should maintain a smooth and cordial relations as there are no other options available for both the neighbours, said Rajan Bhattarai, foreign policy expert and CPN-UML lawmaker.
"We must establish a good and working relations with India for ensuring smooth supply of essential goods as well for moving towards economic prosperity," Bhattarai said talking to reporters at an interaction programme here.
Bhattarai is also one of the members of the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group (EPG) from the Nepalese side.

The first meeting of the EPG is scheduled to take place on July 4-5 in Kathmandu.
There are four members from each side in the group.

The meeting will review the entire gamut of Nepal-India relations, discuss ways to improve relations and also find out ways to expedite the works of various bilateral mechanisms formed between the two countries.
"Nepalese people had suffered a lot due to the economic blockade and the devastating earthquake last year and now I think that the relations have returned to the normal and it has also started showing improvements in the new context," Bhattarai said.

"The regular meetings of various bilateral mechanisms are taking place and the gap in the relations have been narrowing down," he added.
Officials of both the countries are working on preparing ground for exchange of high level visits between the two countries, he pointed out.
India's ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae recently said that exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries are on the card, though dates are not yet fixed.
Former Nepalese ambassador to India Dip Kumar Upadhyaya said that China cannot be an alternative to India for Nepal, so far as the supply of essentials commodities and economic cooperation are concerned.

Nepal turned to China for the supply of essentials as an immediate relief during the border obstructions, but China cannot solve our problem in the long run, he said.