Nepal is ready to strengthen and reset ties with India: FM Khanal

KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal said on Saturday that the Government of Nepal is ready to strengthen and reset ties with India, outlining priorities for deeper cooperation during a visit to New Delhi.

Minister Khanal, who is in India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, told NDTV that Kathmandu seeks to expand multidimensional relations with its southern neighbour. “We wanted to be very conscious about how we deal internationally so that our relationships are based on facts, based on evidence and not based on emotions,” he said.

Highlighting the two countries’ open border and shared security concerns, Minister Khanal said cordial relations should be broadened across multiple sectors. He called for India’s cooperation and expected assistance, investment and collaboration in trade, energy, infrastructure, education, health, technology and connectivity networks, according to NDTV.

Khanal said energy tops the list of cooperation priorities. Pointing to Nepal’s vast hydropower potential, he urged moving beyond a piecemeal, project-by-project approach towards a comprehensive sectoral framework. “We have built a really good collaboration on the energy sector over the last few years, but we think there are ways to improve,” Khanal said.

He proposed a tripartite arrangement involving India, Nepal and Bangladesh that would allow Nepali green energy to reach Dhaka using Indian transmission infrastructure.

Connectivity was identified as the second priority. Khanal listed rail links between Janakpur and Ayodhya, new air connections via Bhairahawa and Pokhara airports, and upgrades to road infrastructure as key projects to enhance regional connectivity.

He also pointed to recent diplomatic gestures as a source of encouragement, citing the warm reception given by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian government to Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane during his visit to India.

The minister’s remarks come as Kathmandu seeks to deepen practical cooperation with New Delhi while emphasising a relationship guided by evidence and mutual interests.

By RSS