Nepal Foreign Minister Khanal calls three-day India visit 'fruitful'

Nepal's foreign minister termed his India visit fruitful, citing progress in cooperation, connectivity, digital payments and efforts to resolve border issues

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Sunday described his three-day visit to India as "fruitful", asserting that concrete steps were taken towards enhancing bilateral ties.

During Khanal's official visit to India from June 5-7, he held wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Talking to media persons upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport Sunday evening, Khanal said, "Fruitful discussions were held with Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on matters pertaining to mutual cooperation in different areas, diplomacy and border dispute."  "The mechanisms of both countries are working towards resolving the existing border dispute between Nepal and India," he said, adding that the Himalayan nation clearly put forward its view that the issues related to the border could be resolved through diplomacy and the existing mechanisms.

 

Before leaving for home, Khanal had said that Nepal wants to resolve its border dispute with India through existing bilateral mechanisms as "no problem is too large and complex" when both sides meet with an open heart, rational mind and mutual respect.

Talking to reporters in Kathmandu, Khanal said that matters related to "development cooperation, expansion of connectivity, trade and transit, energy and further enhancing people-to-people relations" were discussed during his meeting with Jaishankar.

During the visit, the two sides jointly launched the linkage between India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Nepal's National Payments Interface (NPI) to facilitate personal remittances between the two countries.

India also virtually handed over 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects completed under India's post-2015 earthquake reconstruction assistance to Nepal, the minister said.

Khanal expressed confidence that a new agreement reached between the two countries for voice-first translation platforms will contribute towards the promotion of Artificial Intelligence technology.

He added that discussions were also held about the air route for operating Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, and a technical team will soon conduct its meeting on the matter.

His trip to New Delhi came against the backdrop of a raging controversy triggered by Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah's recent remarks on the boundary row between the two sides. Shah had suggested the involvement of China and the UK to resolve the issue. New Delhi categorically rejected any role for third parties to resolve the row.