Nepal's former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday warned against a 'misuse' of the border the country shares with India by "unwanted elements", adding that people of both countries should benefit from the open border.
At a programme organised by the Nepal-India Friendship Society to commemorate India's 77th Independence Day, Oli conveyed his wishes to Indian citizens and government, saying that people-to-people relations between the two countries existed long before they were formed.
He also underscored the importance of common history, culture, religious and social values in India-Nepal relations and said that they need to understand each other's concerns. "The people of our two countries should benefit from the open border existing between us, but at the same time, we should be careful not to misuse the open border by unwanted elements," he said.
The former Nepal PM also called for seeking legitimate solutions to the problems coming from the open border "without restricting the rights ree movement enjoyed by people" of the neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said, "The independence day attained by India some 76 years ago inspires us to move ahead on the path of progress and development by fulfilling our progressive dreams."
The envoy further expressed that India wants to honour those Nepalese citizens and leaders who made sacrifices by participating in the independence movement and that their contribution will not be forgotten.
"India is moving ahead to become a fully developed country by 2047, as we complete a century of our independence, and we are becoming the third power from the current fifth power in the next five years as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Srivastava said.
Several eminent leaders, including Nepali Congress' Arjun Narsingh Kesi, similarly underlined that the people-to-people relations between the two countries must be strengthened by resolving problems faced by the populace "whose destiny is tied together".
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and discussed various issues of India-Nepal cooperation to bolster the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
(with PTI inputs)
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