India and Nepal on Thursday inked seven agreements and launched six cross-border projects, including for petroleum pipelines, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda held talks here, and resolved to take the bilateral ties to Himalayan heights.
The six projects jointly launched by the two prime ministers were:
1. Handing over of Kurtha-Bijalpura section of railway line.
2. Inaugural run of an Indian railway cargo train from Bathnaha (India) to Nepal Customs Yard which is the newly constructed rail link under Indian grant.
3. Inauguration of Integrated Checkposts (ICPs) at Nepalgunj (Nepal) and Rupaidiha (India).
4. Ground breaking ceremony of ICPs at Bhairahawa (Nepal) and Sonauli (India).
5. Ground breaking ceremony of phase-II facilities under Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Pipeline.
6. Ground breaking ceremony of Indian portion of Gorakhpur-Bhutwal Transmission Line being built by a JV of PGCIL and NEA.
The List of MoU/Agreements signed between India and Nepal are:
1. Treaty of Transit between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal
2. MoU between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal for cooperation in the field of Petroleum Infrastructure
3. MoU between Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) and the Institute of Foreign Affairs, Nepal
4. MoU between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal for the development of infrastructure at Dodhara Chandani check post along Indo-Nepal Border
5. Project Development Agreement of Lower Arun Hydroelectric Project between M/S SJVN and Investment Board of Nepal
6. MoU between NHPC and VUCL, Nepal for the development of Phukot Karnali Hydroelectric Project
7. MoU between NPCIL and NCHL, Nepal for cross border payments
In his remarks after holding delegation level talks with visiting Nepalese PM Dahal, PM Modi said:
“We will continue to work towards taking our bilateral ties to Himalayan heights. And with this sentiment in mind, we will seek to resolve all our bilateral issues, including of boundary.”
In his address, PM Modi recalled: “I remember that nine years ago, in 2014, within three months after taking over in my first term, I travelled to Nepal for the first time.
“I had said that we will build such ties with Nepal that our borders should not act as our barriers.
“At that time I had given the hit formula for making the bilateral ties a hit – of highways, e-ways and transways.”
“Myself and PM Prachanda have taken important steps to make our partnership a superhit one, and in this context we have concluded the transit agreement.
“We have taken steps to open new railway routes for the people of Nepal, and along with that also arranged for inland
waterways benefits.”
PM Modi also proposed fast-tracking work on the Ramayan circuit. “India and Nepal have age-old religious and cultural ties, and PM Dahal and myself have agreed to fast forward the Ramayan circuit programmes.”
On the border issue, Nepalese PM Dahal said: “PM Modi and I also discussed about border issues. I suggested that the border disputes should be resolved through established diplomatic mechanism.”
PM Prachanda also invited PM Modi to visit Nepal.
He said that India is not only Nepal’s closest neighbor but also its largest trading partner and added that he would soon welcome PM Modi on his visit to Nepal.
Prime Minister Dahal said that there will soon be a tripartite agreement for the export of electricity to Bangladesh.
PM Modi also said that India will purchase 10,000 megawatts of electricity from Nepal over the next 10 years.
An agreement was reached between both sides for the construction of two important petroleum pipelines
Two petroleum pipelines– from Siliguri in India to Jhapa, Nepal; and from Amalekhgunj in Bara to Lothar of Chitwan (both in Nepal) would be constructed for smooth supply of petroleum products. A storage would be constructed in Jhapa.
The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam of India is to construct the Lower Arun Hydropower Project in Nepal, for which a bilateral agreement was inked today.
The company has also been undertaking the construction of the Arun-III Hydropower Project.
