Indian PM keen to visit Nepal after new govt

NEW DELHI, JAN 16 -
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed hope that the new Constituent Assembly would be successful in drafting a new constitution on time, voicing his desire to visit Nepal after the formation of a new government in Kathmandu.

PM Singh, during a meeting with visiting Foreign and Home Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire at his official residence on Wednesday, said he was happy about the successful conduction of the CA election in Nepal and congratulated Ghimire for the same. Ghimire is here on a three-day official visit at the invitation of External Affairs Minister of India Salman Khurshid. “India always wants to see a prosperous and peaceful Nepal,” Ghimire told the Post quoting the Indian PM. He reiterated India’s readiness to “extend any kind of support for development and progress of Nepal.” During the meeting, Ghimire formally invited the Indian PM to pay a visit to Nepal. “I am keen to visit Nepal and will try and arrange my schedule for the same after the formation of the new government in Nepal,” the Indian PM said in response.

Ghimire had apprised Singh about recent political developments in Nepal, including the situation after the formation of election government under sitting Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi, successful conduction of the CA election, the first CA meet scheduled for the next week, among other issues. Ghimire maintained that the CA election would sketch a clear roadmap for institutionalising democracy and maintaining stability in Nepal.

According to the Nepali embassy in New Delhi, PM Singh hoped that the new Constituent Assembly would be successful in timely drafting of a new constitution as per the wish of the people of Nepal. Singh had also expressed satisfaction at the close cooperative relations existing between the two countries and wished that these relations would continue to grow under democratic dispensation.

Ghimire had also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for extending continued development cooperation to Nepal including the valuable moral and material support provided in the context of Constituent Assembly elections. Recalling that it has been long time since the last visit to Nepal by Prime Minister of India, the Foreign Minister renewed the invitation extended to Prime Minister Singh to visit Nepal and asked him to consider visiting Nepal at his earliest convenience.

Later in the day, according to the Nepali Embassy in new Delhi, Ghimire held official meeting with Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs of India, during which the two ministers discussed on bilateral issues.

“The two ministers exchanged views on the close and historical bilateral relations existing between the two counties, on the ways of further promoting them and on regional and international cooperation issues of mutual interest. They also underscored the need of regular exchange of high-level visits,” said the statement.

 The two ministers recalled the recent bilateral meetings on water resources, border and security issues, trade and commerce and also reviewed the progress made in the on-going infrastructure development projects as well as the priority areas of cooperation, particularly management of border crossing points, trade and transit issues, air connectivity, power generation and transmission, construction of Hulaki (postal) road, among others.

Minister Ghimire underlined the need for strengthening mutually beneficial trade and promoting increased investment from India to Nepal thereby helping to accelerate Nepal’s development process. The External Affairs Minister of India reaffirmed continued full cooperation and support of the Government of India to Nepal in the socio-economic development including in infrastructure development, hydropower generation, and trade and commerce.

The External Affairs Minister of India hosted a luncheon in honour of the Foreign Minister of Nepal at the Hyderabad House.

 India’s National Security Advisor Shri Shivshankar Menon also called on Ghimire and the two discussed

matters of mutual interests related to security concerns and regional issues during the meeting.

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