Nepal FM Arzu Rana Deuba meets PM Modi, hands over invite from PM Oli for state visit
Aug. 19, 2024, 6:42 p.m.
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Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss the strong and diverse relationship between India and Nepal.
She also conveyed an invitation from Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for PM Modi to visit Nepal.
“Had a courtesy meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Shri@narendramoditoday in New Delhi. We discussed the multifaceted diversity of Nepal-India relations. I hope this visit and our high-level meetings will elevate the historical ties between our two countries to new heights,” the Nepal FM said in a post on X.
Advertisement “I also handed over an invitation from Rt. Hon Prime Minister @kpsharmaoli to PM Modi ji for a state visit to Nepal,” she added.
I had a courtesy meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Shri @narendramodi today in New Delhi. We discussed the wide-ranging aspects of Nepal-India relations. I am hopeful that this visit and our high-level discussions will elevate the historical ties between our two countries to new… pic.twitter.com/eKNrSg7Cqh
— Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba (@Arzuranadeuba) August 19, 2024 The meeting aimed to elevate the historical ties between the two countries to new heights. PM Modi highlighted the close civilisational ties and progressive partnership between India and Nepal.
Prime Minister Modi said he was pleased to welcome Nepal FM. He highlighted the “close civilizational ties” and a “progressive and multifaceted partnership” between the two nations.
“Pleased to welcome Nepal’s Foreign Minister @Arzuranadeuba. India and Nepal share close civilizational ties and a progressive and multifaceted partnership. Looking forward to continued momentum in our development partnership,” PM Modi stated on X.
It was a pleasure to welcome Nepal's Foreign Minister @Arzuranadeuba. India and Nepal have a long-standing and growing partnership based on shared cultural heritage. I look forward to our continued progress together. pic.twitter.com/DwM8zq6qsL
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2024 Advertisement Earlier in the day, India and Nepal discussed the progress in cooperation between the two countries in the fields of power generation and sports, the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba is in India on an official visit from August 18-22, invited by India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The Foreign Ministers held bilateral discussions on Monday, covering the entire spectrum of the India-Nepal bilateral partnership. They reviewed the progress made on various bilateral initiatives and development projects, and also discussed avenues for further cooperation in existing and emerging areas of mutual benefit.
Advertisement “India and Nepal are close and friendly neighbours with deep historical, civilisational, cultural, and people-to-people linkages. There has been sustained momentum in recent years in the implementation of India assisted projects in Nepal, which is especially manifested in the fields of connectivity - physical, digital as well as people to people, including in the infrastructure and other projects related to cross-border railways, roads, and bridges, Integrated Check Posts, petroleum pipelines, and digital financial connectivity,” the MEA stated.
India and Nepal recognized the positive progress in their mutually beneficial partnership in the power sector. This includes Nepal's increased capacity to export electricity, now approaching 1000 MW, generating additional revenue for Nepal and providing clean energy to India.
Both Foreign Ministers acknowledged the unprecedented potential for collaboration in the energy sector that will be unlocked by implementing the long-term power trade agreement.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Deuba expressed gratitude to the Indian government for the green light on an additional 251 MW of electricity exports from Nepal. He expressed confidence that energy sector cooperation between the two nations will reach new heights.
“Thanks to the Government of India for additional approval of 251 MW of power export from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal to India during the wet season months on mid-term basis. With this quantum, I am delighted to mention that the Government of India has granted approval for the total hydropower export of 941 MW from Nepal to India so far. I am confident that power sector cooperation between the two countries will take more heights in the future,” she stated in her post.
Advertisement Nepal is set to export an additional 251 MW of power to India, sourced from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, following approval by India’s designated authority for cross-border trade.
Following this approval, Nepal will be exporting power to Bihar for the first time through a medium-term power sales agreement. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu made this announcement in a press release.
Both sides acknowledged that sports are emerging as a new area of collaboration between India and Nepal. They welcomed the recent support provided to the Nepali cricket team by facilitating their training at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
“Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The Foreign Minister’s visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss and identify newer areas of cooperation to further advance our bilateral ties,” the MEA added.
Earlier that day, FM Deuba met with EAM S Jaishankar. During their meeting, they discussed the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade, energy, and infrastructure development.
Nepal's Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a five-day official visit to India. This visit was at the invitation of India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. The Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that this visit aligns with the longstanding tradition of frequent high-level exchanges between India and Nepal.
