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Bilateral meeting of Nepal-India EPGs to take place within a month
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is all set to hold a bilateral meeting of the taskforces constituted to review the agreements and treaties signed between Nepal and India within a month.Devendra Bhattarai
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is all set to hold a bilateral meeting of the taskforces constituted to review the agreements and treaties signed between Nepal and India within a month.
Earlier in February, Nepal government had formed the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) under seasoned diplomat and former ambassador to India Bhekh Bahadur Thapa to review the treaties, including the Peace and Friendship Treaty signed in 1950, and dimension of relations between the two countries.
Likewise, India had also formed a four-member committee under ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nepal expert Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
The office of Indian EPG will be housed at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).
Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad, Professor Mahendra P Lama and Professor BC Upreti are the members of the Indian EPG.
A meeting at the MEA on Tuesday held discussions on issues pertaining to necessary bilateral consultations after Prime Minister Oli’s visit, activation of various bilateral mechanisms and the agreements signed during Oli’s visit.
Nepali ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay, deputy chief of Nepali mission in India, Krishna Prasad Dhakal, and Counsellor- Political Tirha Raj Wagle were present, while joint secretary at Nepal Affairs desk Abhaya Thakur, among other office bearers, represented the Indian side at the meeting that lasted for about two hours.
It has been learnt that joint meeting of the EPGs will be held in Kathmandu and that the two sides have been working on their part to prepare agenda for the same.
According to an official present at the meeting, a broader discussion was held regarding the problems in the construction of long-stalled postal road.
“There are high chances of project-specific bilateral meetings taking place in order to improve the effectiveness and remove the obstacles seen in implementing the projects,” said an official, when asked about the concerns raised at the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the fuel shortage in Nepal and hardships as its results though there was no blockade in Nepal. However, the Nepali side responded that the crisis situation was only an artificial one as Indian Oil Corporation has increased the supply of fuel as demanded by Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).