India, Nepal PMs focus on bilateral ties, development partnerships

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava met with Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing development partnerships. This was Shah's first one-on-one meeting with a foreign diplomat since taking office.

Bilateral ties and development partnerships took centre stage during a high-level diplomatic interaction as Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Balendra Shah at the PMO in Singhadurbar.Detailing the foundational objectives of the diplomatic dialogue, the Nepal Prime Minister's Office (PMO) released a statement highlighting the core parameters of the meeting. "Ambassador of India to Nepal H. E. Mr Naveen Srivastava (@navsri6619) paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr Balendra Shah (@ShahBalen) at Singhadurbar today. On the occasion, discussions were focused on further strengthening Nepal-India relations, promoting bilateral cooperation and enhancing development partnership for the mutual benefit of two countries," the PMO said in a post on X.Adding depth to the bilateral outreach, Ambassador Srivastava also shared his perspectives on the engagement, emphasising the transmission of high-level diplomatic regards and a mutual dedication to cultivating robust multi-faceted ties. "Honoured to call on Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal (@ShahBalen) this morning," Ambassador Srivastava posted on X, "Conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Modi ji (@narendramodi). Had an engaging & productive exchange of views on further deepening robust, multi-faceted India - Nepal partnership," he wrote.The interaction underscores the continued commitment of both New Delhi and Kathmandu to build upon their longstanding friendship, driving forward cooperative initiatives across multiple sectors of mutual interest.

A Shift in Diplomatic Protocol

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava also met with Nepal's Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar. The meeting between the Indian Ambassador and the Nepali PM went on for about an hour.This meeting marks the first time Shah has held face-to-face bilateral talks with an individual foreign diplomat since taking office nearly four months ago. Shah had previously maintained a firm stance against single-delegate meetings with ambassadors, preferring group interactions instead.Following his meeting with Srivastava, Shah is scheduled to hold a separate one-to-one discussion with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming later today, followed by a meeting with US Charge d'Affaires Scott Urbom tomorrow.Sources close to the Prime Minister noted that preparations for these high-level diplomatic meetings were finalised weeks ago but were briefly delayed following recent events in Sunsari.

Longstanding Development Partnership

Nepal is one of India's largest and most prominent development partners. India-Nepal Cooperation for developing modern infrastructure in Nepal began in 1951 with the construction of Gauchar Airport in Kathmandu (completed in 1954).The Indian Aid Mission in Nepal was also set up in 1954 for coordinating various developmental projects of the Government of India in areas of connectivity, health, education, power and other sectors.Over the past seven decades, India-Nepal development cooperation has expanded and diversified. It now covers a wide range of sectors such as health, education, power, archives, archaeology, connectivity, trade, agriculture, cultural heritage preservation, and capacity building amongst many.The projects implemented are based on the needs and priorities of Nepal and are spread across the length and breadth of the country. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)