By Our Reporter
External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar is arriving in Kathmandu on a two-day visit on Thursday, 4 January.
He is coming to Nepal on an official visit to participate in a high-level Nepal-India Joint Commission between the two countries led by the foreign ministers to be held on Thursday and Friday.
This mechanism reviews the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Jaishankar is leading an Indian delegation at the seventh JC meeting scheduled to be held in Kathmandu. He is coming to Nepal after four years.
According to the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Amrit Bahadur Rai, the meeting of the bilateral mechanism would discuss the bilateral issues including economic cooperation and commerce.
Two days before the arrival of the Indian minister, Nepal’s Foreign Minister NP Saud held a discussion with former foreign ministers, foreign secretaries and ambassadors to India on Tuesday soliciting their suggestions for the preparation of the meeting.
Stating that Nepal’s relationship with India is important, the former minister and secretaries suggested increasing Nepal’s exports to India, expanding electricity trade, strengthening cross-border infrastructure, emphasising the timely completion of development projects started in the past, and addressing issues such as air routes, informed the FM’s Secretariat in a statement on Tuesday.
The MoFA source said that the meeting would deliberate on the energy trade and border issues as well. India is Nepal’s largest partner with about two-thirds of foreign trade happening with it.
Former Foreign Minister Dr. Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, former foreign secretaries Madhu Raman Acharya, Arjun Thapa, Durga Bhattarai, Bharat Raj Poudyal and former ambassador to India Durgesh Man Singh were present in the meeting.
However, issues of border disputes may not be raised in the meeting as Nepal hardly dares to raise such issues with powerful Indian ministers like Jaishankar.
Meanwhile, UML leader Bhim Rawal has warned while tweeting on his X account that the government, during the Indian Minister’s visit, may permit the Indian Embassy to spend 9 crore rupees directly to different groups and organisations, which is serious and objectionable.
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