Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has expressed India’s readiness to support Nepal’s efforts to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the Bhotekoshi flood, saying New Delhi is prepared to consider assistance and project proposals as the country moves into the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.

During a meeting with Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and other members of the Nepali delegation in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Misri acknowledged the extensive damage the flood had caused to Nepal’s infrastructure and said India was willing to extend support for reconstruction.

He said the matter had been discussed previously, adding that New Delhi was open to considering specific requests and project proposals from Kathmandu as it draws up its recovery plans.

Misri also described relations between Nepal and India as unique, saying the two countries had stood by each other in both good times and difficult circumstances. He said India’s assistance in the aftermath of the Bhotekoshi flood reflected the longstanding ties between the two countries and their commitment to supporting each other in difficult times.

He praised officials from both countries for their continued efforts to advance bilateral cooperation, saying their work had helped resolve long-pending issues and move key initiatives forward.

Misri also thanked Rai and his team for their continued support, reiterating that Nepal and India shared a distinctive relationship built on cooperation through both favourable and difficult times.

“The assistance India provided after the Bhotekoshi flood demonstrated the longstanding ties between our two countries and our commitment to supporting each other in difficult times. We recognise, however, that the flood caused extensive damage to Nepal’s infrastructure,” Misri said.