After a period of sour relations, the sweetness in India-Nepal relations has begun to fade. Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is in India for a three-day visit, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday. Following this, both leaders launched the RuPay card in Nepal as well as a train service connecting Jaynagar, India, and Kurtha, Nepal.
RuPay card and train service were jointly launched by PM Modi and Deuba. India assisted in the development of the Jayanagar-Kurtha railway line. In Nepal, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Deuba jointly inaugurated the Solu Corridor 132 KV Power Transmission Line and Substation.
PM Modi has started a new chapter in the history of relationships.
PM Modi stated on this occasion that the introduction of the RuPay card in Nepal will open a new chapter in our economy’s connectivity. Other projects, such as the Nepal Police Academy, the e-integrated check post in Nepalganj, and the Ramayana circuit, will bring the two countries closer together. PM Modi stated, “I and PM Deuba have also agreed to prioritise trade and cross-border connectivity initiatives in all respects.” This includes the start of the Jayanagar-Kurtha rail line. Such plans would go a long way toward ensuring a smooth and trouble-free exchange of people between the two countries.
I am particularly pleased that Nepal has joined the International Solar Alliance, said Modi. This will help our region to have more sustainable, cost-effective, and clean energy. In addition, Indian companies have agreed to invest more in Nepal’s hydropower development projects. Deuba ji, according to PM Modi, is an old friend of India. He has had a significant impact on the development of India-Nepal ties. Since the dawn of time, we’ve been companions in joy and sorrow. In Nepal’s quest for peace, progress, and development, India has been a strong ally.
Deuba said in a joint statement, “I appreciate the affection shown to the Nepali people.”
On this occasion, PM Modi and Deuba also issued a joint statement. ‘I really appreciate your love and affection for Nepal and the Nepalese people,’ Deuba said, adding that his visit today will further these instinctive feelings. We had friendly talks and fruitful discussions on various aspects of India-Nepal relations today, according to Deuba. We discussed how we could strengthen friendly relations even more. I admire India’s progress under Prime Minister Modi’s visionary leadership. During COVID-19, we witnessed India’s effective management. Apart from primary vaccine support, India provided medicines, medical equipment, and logistics to combat COVID.
Madhubani’s Jayanagar and Janakpur’s Kurtha station
The train service will run from Jaynagar station in Bihar’s Madhubani district to Kurtha station in Nepal’s Janakpur district. The Jayanagar-Kurtha section is part of the Bijalpur-Bardidas rail link, which spans 68.7 kilometres. It is being built with a grant-in-aid from the Indian government of 8.77 billion Nepalese rupees.
Deuba and Prime Minister Modi had previously met at Hyderabad House in Delhi. Both leaders saw this as an opportunity to give their countries’ bilateral relations a new dimension. India considers Deuba to be a friend. Prime Minister Modi congratulated KP Sharma Oli shortly after his withdrawal, and Deuba won the Nepalese Parliament’s trust vote. Following that, on July 19, 2019, the two leaders had a phone conversation. In November 2021, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the COP 26 meeting in Glasgow.
Deuba arrived in India on Friday for a three-day visit. Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt met him at the airport. Deuba met with BJP President JP Nadda and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the first day of his visit. Both countries stressed the importance of further strengthening the long-standing bilateral ties during their meeting with Jaishankar.
Deuba is leaving for Varanasi tomorrow.
Deuba and his wife, Dr. Arzoo Deuba, arrived in Delhi earlier this week, and External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted, “A warm welcome to a special friend.” Deuba will arrive in Varanasi at 9 a.m. on Sunday as part of this tour. He will return to Delhi in the afternoon after visiting many temples there. At 4.15 p.m., we will depart from Delhi for Kathmandu.
After three years, Nepal’s Prime Minister pays a visit to India.
In three years, Deuba is the first Nepalese Prime Minister to visit India. Prior to him, in May 2019, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited India to take the oath of office as Prime Minister for the second time under Narendra Modi. PM Modi had gone to Kathmandu for the BIMSTEC summit a few months before.