New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka ‘Prachanda’ and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are happy with the progress the 2 nations made in energy sector cooperation and have additionally finalised an Agreement for Long-Term Power Trade whereby it was agreed to try to extend the quantum of export of energy from Nepal to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) knowledgeable via a press launch on Friday.
The Nepal Prime Minister is on an official go to to India after assuming workplace within the present time period.
During his assembly with PM Modi, each leaders held wide-ranging bilateral discussions marked by conventional heat and cordiality. They reviewed your complete spectrum of the bilateral agenda between India and Nepal protecting political, financial, commerce, power, safety and developmental cooperation.
Prime Minister Prachanda additionally known as on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval known as on the Prime Minister throughout his keep in Delhi.
The two leaders famous the superb cooperation between the 2 nations, together with within the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Highlighting the sturdy financial and commerce partnership between the 2 nations, they welcomed the signing of the revised Treaty of Transit which, amongst others, offers entry to India’s inland waterways.
Recalling the Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation of April 2022, the 2 Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction on the progress made in energy sector cooperation, which covers the event of technology tasks, energy transmission, infrastructure and energy commerce. Both Prime Ministers appreciated the expansion within the export of upto 452 MW of energy from Nepal to India and the progress made within the building of the 900 MW Arun-3 hydroelectric undertaking in Nepal, as per the MEA launch.
Both sides finalised an Agreement for Long-Term Power Trade whereby it was agreed to try to extend the quantum of export of energy from Nepal to India to 10,000 MW inside a timeframe of ten years and in direction of this finish take all obligatory measures to encourage mutually-beneficial investments in Nepal’s hydropower technology sector and transmission infrastructure.
The two leaders additionally collectively carried out the groundbreaking of the 400 kV Gorakhpur-Butwal transmission line. The signing of the MoU for the event of the 480 MW Phukot-Karnali undertaking by NHPC and VUCL Ltd, Nepal and the Project Development Agreement for the event of 669 MW Lower Arun between Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) was welcomed by either side.
The Nepalese aspect welcomed the choice of the Government of India to facilitate the primary trilateral energy transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh, via the Indian grid with an export of upto 40 MW of energy. Both sides expressed their dedication in direction of higher sub-regional cooperation, together with within the power sector, which might result in elevated inter-linkages between the economies for the mutual advantage of all stakeholders.
The Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP), as envisaged within the Mahakali Treaty, is in accordance with the aspirations of the folks of Nepal and India. In this context, it was agreed that the involved officers of each governments shall expedite the bilateral discussions in direction of early finalization of the Detailed ProjectReport (DPR) of the PMP inside a interval of three months. The Pancheshwar Development Authority (PDA) shall submit the finalized DPR to each Governments. The two Governments and their related entities shall take the lead in arranging finance for the PMP. The modalities of implementation shall be concluded inside one yr after approval of the DPR by the 2 Governments, acknowledged the official launch.
The two sides welcomed the development of the Tanakpur Link Canal and agreed that water might be launched from the Tanakpur Barrage to the irrigation command space of Nepal via this canal in a phase-wise method primarily based on the readiness of the required services on the Nepali aspect. The technical groups of the 2 sides might be in contact on this regard.
Both sides additionally welcomed the choice of the Government of India to fund the Bheri Corridor, Nijgadh-Inaruwa and Gandak Nepalgunj Transmission traces and related substations beneath the Indian Line of Credit at an estimated price of US$ 679.8 million.
The two Prime Ministers appreciated the constructive momentum within the improvement partnership and reviewed the implementation of main ongoing tasks. Prachanda assured Prime Minister Modi of his authorities’s full assist in facilitating the time-bound completion of all India-assisted tasks.
Giving an extra fillip to connectivity via the creation of Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) between India and Nepal being constructed beneath the Indian grant help, each leaders inaugurated the mirror ICPs in Rupaidiha (India) and Nepalgunj (Nepal). Both leaders additionally carried out the ground-breaking ceremony of the mirror ICPs in Sunauli (India) and Bhairahawa (Nepal). An MoU on the development of one other ICP in Dodhara Chandani in Nepal beneath Indian grant help was additionally signed in the course of the go to. These ICPs will assist enhance transportation services to additional improve people-to-people connectivity in addition to commerce, industrial and financial linkages between India and Nepal.
In a significant initiative in direction of enhancing rail connectivity, each leaders presided over the inaugural run of the cross-border freight rail operations between Bathnaha (India) and Nepal Customs Yard (Nepal) on the Jogbani-Biratnagar rail hyperlink constructed with Indian grant help. This will additional improve commerce and industrial linkages between each nations via Biratnagar, a significant financial hub on the japanese aspect of Nepal. Further extending the Jaynagar-Kurtha passenger rail operations launched in April final yr, the Kurtha-Bijalpura rail part was handed over to the Government of Nepal which can now be due for operationalization shortly.
The Final Location Survey report of the Raxaul-Kathmandu rail hyperlink was additionally handed over to the Nepali aspect in the course of the go to. The Centre additionally agreed to the Government of Nepal’s requests for the coaching and capability constructing of Nepali rail officers within the Indian Railway institutes and the supply of a one-time grant for upkeep of the railway infrastructure for the Jaynagar-Kurtha rail part that was flagged off by the Prime Ministers of India and Nepal in April final yr.
On Energy connectivity, each leaders famous with satisfaction the advantages of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline which was inaugurated in September 2019. In additional enhancing this cooperation, each leaders additionally laid the inspiration stone for Phase II of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline in Chitwan. An MoU for the development of petroleum provide infrastructure by laying the brand new pipeline between Siliguri and Jhapa, and lengthening the present oil pipeline from Amlekhgunj until Chitwan, in addition to the development of two greenfield terminals at Chitwan and Jhapa, was additionally signed in the course of the go to.
The two sides additionally determined to additional improve digital monetary connectivity between the 2 nations. In this regard, an MOU between NPCIL India and NCHL of Nepal for facilitating cross-border digital funds was exchanged.
Both the Prime Ministers famous with satisfaction the understanding reached in February final yr on the provision of urea and DAP from India to Nepal. Strengthening this cooperation additional, each leaders agreed to arrange a fertilizer plant in Nepal with the participation of private and non-private sector entities from Nepal and India to satisfy the fertilizer wants of each Nepali and Indian farmers and with enough assurance of market in each the nations. The two Prime Ministers directed the involved authorities to discover the viability of such a plant.
India has additionally determined to construct two bridges throughout the Mahakali River at Shirsha and Jhulaghat in Nepal connecting to Champawat and Pithoragarh districts in India beneath the grant. These bridges will increase connectivity between the State of Uttrakhand in India and Sudurpaschim Province in Nepal.
With the goal of offering renewed momentum to the agriculture sector, the 2 sides mentioned new avenues of bilateral cooperation like nano-fertilizers and pure farming. As a part of India-Nepal cooperation in agriculture and livestock-related sectors, 15 Murrah buffaloes are being provided to the Government of Nepal at their request.
The Government of India has supplied to create a floor station and provide 300 person terminals to supply the providers of South Asia Satellite to Nepal beneath grant help. This initiative would promote regional cooperation within the area sector, and area expertise purposes within the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting, tele-medicine, tele-education, e-governance, banking and ATM providers, meteorological information transmission, catastrophe response and networking of educational and analysis establishments.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Nepal on turning into a founding member of the International Big Cat Alliance.
Prime Minister Prachanda additionally visited Indore and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. His go to to those cities displays the deep spiritual and cultural hyperlinks between the 2 nations.
“Nepal is one of the key partners of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. The visit of the Prime Minister of Nepal to India continues the tradition of high-level visits and exchanges between the two countries, strengthening the age-old ties between the two countries. The productive discussions held during the visit helped to widen the understanding between both countries and perspective on the wide range of bilateral agenda and gave a robust direction to take the deep-rooted partnership forward,” acknowledged the MEA launch. (ANI)