Post map row, India, Nepal hold parleys

New Delhi, August 17

Senior officials from India and Nepal held a virtual meeting today to turn the focus on the positive aspects of the bilateral relationship after months of acrimony over cartographic changes.

Icebreaker: Meeting on joint ventures

The meeting mainly discussed ongoing projects under bilateral cooperation covering Terai roads and cross-border railways

The eighth meeting of the Oversight Mechanism (OSM) through digital video-conferencing, co-chaired by India’s Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepal Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, reviewed the progress made on various India-aided developmental projects in the Himalayan nation and decided to expedite their implementation.

The meeting was held two days after Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli spoke with PM Narendra Modi on phone, ostensibly to greet him on India’s 74th Independence Day. In an indirect appreciation of India’s global heft, Oli also conveyed congratulations for India’s recent election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, said a readout by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The meeting carried out a review of bilateral projects since its 7th meeting in July, 2019. — TNS