Jaishankar and Nepal Foreign Minister reviewed bilateral cooperation acrossy while pledging to strengthen the partnership
India and Nepal on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with Nepal describing India as its “most important partner” and both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks in New Delhi with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, reviewing the full spectrum of bilateral ties, including development cooperation, connectivity, trade, transit, energy and people-to-people exchanges.
The discussions come at a significant time in India-Nepal relations, following recent tensions sparked by remarks made by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah regarding the long-standing boundary dispute between the two countries.
Nepal reiterates priority for India ties
During the meeting, Khanal stressed that Nepal attaches the highest importance to its relationship with India and is committed to engaging constructively with New Delhi.
” Nepal accords the highest priority to its relationship with India,” Khanal said, adding that the government was ready to pursue a purposeful and substantive engagement.
“We carry no old baggage and have only firm resolve for a genuinely transformative relationship with our close neighbour and the most important partner,” he added.
Jaishankar highlighted the unique nature of India-Nepal ties, describing them as being rooted in deep cultural, religious and people-to-people connections.
“India and Nepal share a very special relationship, one which is built on a strong foundation of vibrant people-to-people ties, cross-border connect and shared cultural and religious traditions,” he said.
Focus on new areas of cooperation
The two ministers reviewed ongoing cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, development projects, education, healthcare and disaster response.
Jaishankar also highlighted opportunities to expand collaboration into emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, startups, information technology and renewable energy.
“There is an opportunity to decisively shift the trajectory of India-Nepal relations and realise the full potential of our ties,” he said.
The ministers expressed satisfaction over progress in bilateral cooperation and agreed to intensify efforts to take the partnership to new heights.
Key agreements and initiatives
During the visit, India and Nepal launched several initiatives aimed at strengthening bilateral engagement.
Jaishankar and Khanal jointly launched the linkage between India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Nepal’s National Payments Interface (NPI), which is expected to facilitate smoother personal remittances between the two countries.
The two sides also welcomed the completion of internal procedures for bringing into force the India-Nepal Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement in criminal matters, aimed at improving cooperation in investigations and judicial proceedings involving cross-border crimes.
In another development, an agreement was signed between Digital India Bhashini and Kathmandu University to jointly develop a voice-first language translation platform for Nepal.
India extends support to Nepal
Jaishankar also virtually handed over 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects completed under India’s post-2015 earthquake reconstruction assistance programme in Nepal.
Highlighting India’s continued support, the External Affairs Minister noted that both countries work closely to maintain security along their open border and cooperate during times of crisis.
Referring to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Jaishankar said India had ensured uninterrupted fuel supplies to Nepal despite regional disruptions.
The Ministry of External Affairs described the discussions as warm, friendly and constructive, reflecting the special nature of India-Nepal relations.
“Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy,” the ministry said, adding that Khanal’s visit had provided fresh momentum to efforts aimed at strengthening the partnership and meeting the aspirations of people in both countries.
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