New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Nepalese counterpart in New York on the second day of his US visit on Sunday (local time). This came more than two months after Oli was appointed as Nepal's Prime Minister for the fourth time after his predecessor Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament.
"The meeting was very good," said KP Sharma Oli after his bilateral meeting with PM Modi in New York. This is the first meeting between Oli and PM Modi after the former became Prime Minister in July. It is expected that the meeting between the two leaders will lead to concrete steps for maintaining and deepening India-Nepal relations in several areas.
Modi had extended his congratulations to Oli in July after he became the Prime Minister of Nepal. "Look forward to working closely to further strengthen the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries and to further expand our mutually beneficial cooperation for the progress and prosperity of our peoples," he said. Oli became the Nepal PM after he brokered a deal with Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba to to form a new coalition government replacing Prachanda. The two leaders agreed that the remaining term of the Parliament would be shared between them turn by turn.
Oli's stance on India
Oli is known for his pro-Beijing stance and made a bombshell claim in 2019 that the areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura are part of the Nepalese territory, creating a major row with India. Nepal's upper house of the Parliament unanimously passed the Constitution amendment bill in May 2020 which included the country's new political map in its national emblem.
However, Oli last month called for enhancing the connectivity with India, highlighting the importance of developing the waterways and railways connecting to the neighbouring country. While addressing an annual progress review meeting of the Department of Road under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, he directed civil servants to draft a plan for operating steamer services from Hanumannagar, near the Indian border, to Triveni and Devghat.
Oli emphasised that waterway transport is a cost-effective method for moving goods and people. He directed the officials to workout a plan to operate steamers in the country very soon. In addition to waterways, the PM stressed the need to expand Nepal's railway services and called for the addition of two railway lines to the existing Janakpur-Kurtha railway line.
India-Nepal ties
Since May 2014, there has been 17 exchanges at the level of Head of State/ Head of Government. PM Modi has visited Nepal five times since May 2014 and Prime Ministers of Nepal have visited India 10 times since May 2014. The last visit by PM Modi to Nepal was his visit to Lumbini in May 2022, on the holy occasion of Buddha Purnima.
India is Nepal's largest export destination, receiving an overwhelming 67.9% of its total exports. Nepal's exports mainly constitute edible oil, coffee, tea and jute. Nepal's main imports from India are petroleum products, iron and steel, cereals, vehicles and parts, and machinery parts. Indian firms are among the largest investors in Nepal, accounting for 33.5 per cent of the total FDI stock in Nepal, worth nearly $670 million.
(with agency input)
