Miscellaneous
Mahat, Swaraj dwell on bilateral issues
Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat on Monday held talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj about the agendas that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be taking up during his visit to India starting Thursday.Kamal Dev Bhattarai
Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat on Monday held talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj about the agendas that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be taking up during his visit to India starting Thursday.
During the meeting, Mahat brought some big development projects such as Pancheshwor and Hulaki Road among others to Swaraj’s attention and laid stress on completion of these undergoing projects at the earliest.
Early completion of these pending projects would help create an environment of trust between the two countries, Mahat told the Post after his meeting with Swaraj.
“The meeting was cordial and fruitful,” Mahat said. “The new government’s priority is enhancing bilateral relations on the basis of trust.”
Mahat arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to set the stage for PM Dahal’s visit, which is taking place just over a month after he assumed the top executive post.
“Both the ministers held wide ranging talks on issues of mutual interest, and covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the upcoming high-level exchanges between the two countries,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement issued after the meeting.
“Both sides reiterated their commitment to further strengthen and deepen age-old, close and friendly ties in diverse sectors such as trade and mutual investments, defence and security, economic and development partnership, infrastructure development, energy and water resources, and forging connectivity to facilitate movement of goods and services, people and ideas,” the statement added.
During the meeting with Swaraj, Mahat is also learnt to have said that the joint detailed project report of the Pancheshwor Development Project should be finalised at the earliest. Both sides have agreed to expedite talks at the bureaucratic level to finalise disputes related to cost among others.
Issues related to the demands of the Madhes-based parties did not figure in the meeting, according to Mahat. “The Indian side did not raise [Nepal’s] political issue. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations and development,” said Mahat.
PM dahal’s India trip announced
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Monday said Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be leaving for India on Thursday on a state visit.
According to a MoFA statement, PM Dahal will be accompanied by his spouse Sita Dahal and will be put up at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi as the state guest of the government of India.
According to the statement, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak, Members of Parliament, secretaries and officials from ministries, media persons and representatives of the business community will also be a part of PM Dahals’ delegation. Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is currently in New Delhi, will join the delegation.
According to MoFA, PM Dahal on Thursday will attend a reception to be hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi.
On Friday, he will attend a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan where he will receive a guard of honour.