India has given great priority to relations with Nepal: Modi
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi met alone in Thailand on Friday. The two leaders had a conversation for about 40 minutes. The 'sideline' talks between the two leaders took place during the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit. At a time when relations with India have been said to be strained, the only meeting between Oli and Modi has been considered meaningful.
After the conclusion of the BIMSTEC summit, the meeting held at the Hotel Mandarin Oriental where Modi was staying, was said to be fruitful by both the leaders. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting between the two Prime Ministers reviewed the unique and close relationship. It is said that both the leaders expressed their satisfaction with the physical and digital contact between the two countries, the contact between citizens and the progress in the energy sector.
Prime Minister Oli said on the social network 'X' that the meeting with Modi was very meaningful and positive. "I had a close meeting with my dear friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our conversation was very meaningful and positive," he wrote, "I am happy for this cordial meeting." Oli wrote his response to "X" in Hindi.
Modi also wrote that the meeting with Prime Minister KP Oli through 'X' was fruitful. He has used Nepali language. "The meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Bangkok was fruitful, India has given great priority to relations with Nepal," Modi wrote. "We discussed various areas of friendship between Nepal and India." He mentioned that there were discussions in areas like
energy, connectivity, culture, and digital technology. He mentioned in 'X' that some major positive results obtained from the BIMSTEC summit were discussed between the two leaders, especially on disaster management and maritime transport.
In the statement of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, it is mentioned that there is an agreement to continue efforts towards deepening the multi-faceted partnership between the people of the two countries. Nepal is said to be a priority partner under India's first neighborhood policy. The statement mentions that the meeting held at the Prime Minister level continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.
Prime Minister Oli's chief political advisor Bishnu Rimal wrote on Facebook and stated that the meeting in the presence of only the two Prime Ministers was intimate. According to a member of the visiting team with the Prime Minister, Oli was excited after the meeting with Modi. According to him, the two Prime Ministers have also discussed exchanging visits. An appropriate time will be determined through diplomatic channels.
This is Oli's second meeting with Modi in 8 and a half months as Prime Minister. Both meetings took place outside the land of Nepal or India. Earlier, three months after becoming the prime minister, Oli had the opportunity to have a 'sideline' talk with Modi in New York last October. The talk was held during the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations.
Oli has said that his official visit to Thailand was a success. In a press note issued by his private secretariat, it is mentioned that the bilateral meetings held during the summit have added strength to the expansion of relations with those countries.
This time, Oli has not been able to continue the practice of visiting India after becoming the Prime Minister. The Government of India has not yet sent an invitation to Oli. Earlier, Oli had visited India when he was the Prime Minister. During the meeting in New York, Oli invited Modi to visit Nepal. But Modi's visit has not been fixed yet. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba has reached India three times and tried to create an environment for Prime Minister Oli's visit to India. The delay in Oli's visit to India is being interpreted in Nepal's political circles as a sign of strained relations with India. Oli visited China last November. The practice of going to India first was broken earlier in 2065 by then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. This time, Oli's first choice was the northern neighbor China. During the visit to China, the implementation of the BRI project was signed. In diplomatic circles, it is understood that India is more irritated.
The sixth BIMSTEC summit held in Thailand has ended with the release of 'Bangkok Vision 2030'. The conference approved 6 proposals including the 'Bangkok Vision'. It is targeted to be completed by 2030. The Bangkok Vision is a blueprint for regional development. In that, regional trade expansion, connectivity and human security have been prioritized. Similarly, importance has been given to increasing sea connectivity and trade. All countries have also expressed their commitment to show solidarity for the relief of the earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand from the platform of BIMSTEC. The conference also approved the formation of an executive mechanism to make BIMSTEC effective.
The platform was established in 1997 with the aim of exchanging cooperation and promoting trade between South and South-East Asian countries. Initially, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand jointly established the platform. Later, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan were added to BIMSTEC. Bimstay has developed as a connecting point between South Asia and South-East Asia.
