Valley
Nepal proposes August date for meeting in India
Nepal has proposed a fourth meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission at the Foreign Ministers’ level for August 22 and 23 in New Delhi.Nepal has proposed a fourth meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission at the Foreign Ministers’ level for August 22 and 23 in New Delhi.
The Indian side has not confirmed the dates yet, according to senior Foreign Ministry officials. “Once we agree on the date for the meeting, we will start consultations with line ministries to follow up on the progress being made since the previous joint commission meeting,” an official said.
Besides reviewing the existing status of the bilateral ties and resolving outstanding issues, the meeting is expected to pave the way for future cooperation.
Before the joint commission meeting, the two countries are set to conclude meetings of all bilateral mechanisms. The first meeting of the Eminent Persons Group that concluded in Kathmandu on Tuesday also set a right tone for the meeting, according to officials.
All the meetings on the bilateral front except for a meeting at Home Secretary level—proposed for September—are expected to take place before the proposed date, said the official.
The upcoming meeting will review the progress made in the last meeting held in Kathmandu and we will carry on the past understandings, the official added.
Commerce, trade, transit and energy are likely to top the agenda in the joint
commission meeting. The Indian side is positive on two of the new agendas—negotiations on Nepal-India Bilateral Trade Treaty that is due to expire in October and allowing Nepali nationals living and working in India to open bank accounts and sending remittance to Nepal, according to sources.
The commission meeting will also discuss political issues of the two countries.