The Nepal Weekly 
April 5, 2022
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has returned home from New Delhi Sunday evening concluding his three day official visit to India at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi of India. PM Deuba was accompanied by his spouse Arzoo Deuba, four cabinet ministers and other high officials during the visit.
PM Deuba had delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at Haiderabad House in New Delhi, during which the two leaders held extensive discussion on multi-faceted relationship between the two countries. “The bilateral talks and exchange of views were fruitful towards further strengthening cooperative relations between the two countries,” Nepalese Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka, who was also part of the entourage, remarked while talking to reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport this evening upon arrival from Delhi.
Matters such as cooperation in education, health, energy trade and cross border transmission lines, enhancing cross border connectivity through railway line construction, construction of integrated check post and dry port, promoting bilateral trade mainly featured during the bilateral talks, minister Khadka said.
Prime Minister Modi said that India is always concerned about Nepal’s development and assured India’s continued assistance to Nepal in its prioritized sectors, Foreign Minister Khadka said quoting PM MOdi.
“During the talks the two Prime Ministers also discussed about boundary issues and the two leaders agreed to address such issues through existing mechanism and through holding dialogue and diplomacy,” Foreign Minister Khadka pointed out.
“Prime Minister Deuba also met with Minister for External Affairs S. Jayshankar and National Security Advisor Ajit DOval during which they discussed a variety of issues regarding promoting mutual interests and moving forward bilateral relations,” Khadka said.
Prime Minister Deuba also called Indian investors to investment in Nepal for bringing about economic prosperity and assured that Nepal government is effortful in bringing legal and policy level reforms for attracting foreign investment in the country. “The visit also provided platform to interact and exchange ideas between Nepalese and Indian business fraternity.”
“It is our firm belief that the high level talks Prime Minister Deuba had with Prime Minister Modi and other leaders and high officials in Delhi helped in further strengthening bilateral cooperation, collaboration and understanding between the two countries, Khadka said. Prime Minister Deuba also extended his invitation to PM Modi to visit Nepal and in response PM Modi recalled his past visits to Nepal and assured to visit again at appropriate time.
• During the visit in the presence of the two Prime Ministers the services in the following four areas were virtually inaugurated the observed:
• Launch and Operationalization of 35-km long Jayanagar (Bihar) to Kurtha (Nepal) cross-border rail link
• Inauguration/Hand-over of the 90-km long 132 KVDC Solu Corridor Transmission Line Project Built under Indian Line of Credit.
• Witnessing progress in construction of 132 health facilities in Nepal and
• Launching of Rupay Card in Nepal through Nepal SBI Bank
The follow four agreements were signed during the visit:
• MoU for Enhancing Technical Cooperation in Railway Sector;
• Framework Agreement of International Solar Alliance;
• Agreement between NOC and IOC for Supply of Fuel for 5 Years
• Agreement between NOC and IOC for Sharing Technical Expertise
On the occasion the two countries also agreed on Nepal-India Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation for long term cooperation in hydropower sector between the two countries.
India on the occasion asked the Nepalese side to present signature proposal for the utilization of 500 million US dollar under financial sector Line of Credit IV.
