Policy dialogue series on Nepal – India bilateral relations

Centre for Social Inclusion and Federalism (CESIF) organized a round table discussion on Nepal-India Bilateral Relations, focusing on the Prime Minister’s visit to India from May 30th to June 3rd 2023. The discourse brought together parliamentarians, experts, journalists, former bureaucrats and diplomats.

Raj Kishor Yadav, chairperson of the International Relations and Tourism Committee at the House of Representative, was the chief guest speaker during the programme. Similarly, Former Minister of Energy and Lawmaker Barsha Man Pun, and Members of the Parliament, Hon’ble Udaya Shumsher Rana and Sunita Baral were the prominent speakers on the occasion.

The Prime Minister’s official visit to India last May/June further strengthened Nepal-India close ties in many fronts, including power trade, cross-border infrastructures, among others. The visit was noted by many as a fruitful development to the existing relations; however, the burden now falls upon the implementation of the deals and agreements signed. The discussion was aimed at critically analyzing the visit and reviewing the implementations of the deals and agreements reached.

The dialogue was moderated by the Executive Chair of CESIF, Amb. Vijay Kant Karna. In his opening remarks, he reflected that the visit showed an increased political trust as evidenced by PM Modi’s pledge on border issues to be resolved through dialogues. “Nonetheless, controversial issues like border disputes demand considerable preparation and consensus from both the sides,” Amb. Karna analyzed. Lawmaker Pun admitted the fact that slowly and gradually, an environment of trust is being developed which has obvious economic perks. Lawmaker Rana stressed on the need for compartmentalizing structural and economic issues while dealing with India. “Issues like border disputes require long term solution, and the present concentration should be on economic aspects,” he reflected. Chief Guest, Yadav concluded that it is important for Nepal to also learn of India’s concerns in order to effectively navigate diplomatic hurdles. “Nepal and India’s issues are interconnected, and thus we need to carefully tread path,” he added.