-Sharachchandra Bhandary
Kathmandu, August 20: The fifth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission scheduled to take place in Kathmandu on August 21 and 22 would focus on strengthening the bilateral economic partnership between Nepal and India, it has been shared at a press conference organized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Monday.
The speakers at the event expressed the hope that the meeting would further consolidate relations between Nepal and India and boost Nepal’s economy apart from reviewing the entire state of bilateral relations and road, water and air connectivity.
Likewise, various subjects ranging from political relations between the countries, financial and infrastructural aid, trade and transit, energy and water resources, culture and education would be discussed, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.
Besides discussing the report of the Eminent Persons Group, the meeting would focus on institutionalizing agreements struck at Prime Ministerial level of both the countries, devising plans to implement them at the earliest and discussing ways to sort out difficulties surfaced in the process of enforcing past agreements, he said.
The report prepared last year has yet to be presented before Prime Ministers of both the countries due to various reasons. “We wish PMs of both the countries receive the report, and it will be implemented as soon as possible,” said minister Gyawali.
At the meeting, technical groups of both the countries would present progress details about long-term resolution of inundation problem, added Minister Gyawali. Under the meeting, a joint secretarial-level meeting of Nepal and India would be held on Tuesday and a ministerial-level meeting on Wednesday. Minister Gyawali said that he and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar would lead a delegation of their respective countries at the ministerial-level meeting.
A total of 35 representatives from Nepal including Nepal’s Ambassador to India, high ranking officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence, Finance, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Communications and Information Technology and Industry, Commerce and Supply would participate in the meeting. RSS
