India, Nepal hold home secy-level talks after 9 yrs, review security cooperation
Tuesday's meeting between delegations led by Union home secretary Govind Mohan and Nepal's home secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadee in New Delhi is the first time after 2016 that home secretary-level talks between the two neighbours were held.
'During the talks, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral security cooperation as well as border management and agreed to strengthen it further,' the ministry said in a statement.
'They welcomed the finalization of the text of the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and agreed to work towards early conclusion of the revised extradition treaty,' it added.
Both countries have had an extradition treaty since 1953, but it is considered outdated, according to officials who stated that a revision of the treaty has been in the works for a long time. Similarly, mutual legal assistance on criminal matters is also being renewed.
'Their deliberations included issues related to the repair and maintenance of boundary pillars, trans-border criminal activities, working of Border District Coordination Committees (BDCCs), strengthening of border infrastructure particularly ICPs (Integrated Check Posts), roads and railway networks, empowerment and capacity building of various security related institutions, and ways to strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction and management,' the ministry statement added,
An official who asked not to be named said the two sides also discussed several issues, including requests for the handing over of wanted criminals and the control of drug smuggling. Additionally, the two sides discussed Indian requests to prevent third-country nationals from entering India via Nepal, and action against fake Indian currency notes.
'It was agreed that the next home secretary-level talks will be held in Nepal at a mutually convenient date,' the statement said.
On March 27-28 this year, the 13th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Working Group (JWG) on border management (BM) was held in Pokhara, Nepal, which was attended by Mihir Kumar (joint secretary -border Management in the MHA) and was led by Ramchandra Tiwari (joint secretary - security and coordination of Nepal's home ministry).
India and Nepal share an open border of 1,751 kilometres, which runs along the five states: Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
Officials said the main challenges along this border are to check misuse of the open border by terrorists and criminals for illegal and anti-national activities.
The Indian government has already approved the construction or upgradation of 1,299.80 km of roads along the border in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The border is guarded by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) through 539 Border Out Posts (BOPs).
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