Latest news with #Nepal-India
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Nepal: Leaders, experts call for 'bigger space' in enhancing ties with India
Kathmandu: Nepal's political party leaders, lawmakers, and experts have urged that the Himalayan nation must push for a bigger space in its relationship with India, especially following the April 22 Pahlagam terror attack. "We are so tempted that we should create a space in New Delhi out of the partnership that we have had till now, and particularly after the Pahalgam incident," said former minister and Nepali Congress leader, Minendra Rijal. Speaking at an event in Kathmandu on Monday organised by the Institute for Public Policy and Partnership, the former minister said since India's ties with some of their neighbours are facing some difficulties, Nepal has to seize the opportunity. He called for a sincere and open dialogue with India on sensitive issues. "No one can substitute Nepal-India relations. Since India is a big country, we definitely have complaints about it. Our relationship goes beyond the Roti-Beti cliche (sociocultural ties), and these relations don't fit in any single framework. But when engaging with India, most of the time, our leaders only cared about their politics and how to secure their election tickets," Rijal further said, urging for dialogue with India. Additionally, the former foreign minister of Nepal, NP Saud, addressing the event, said that in diplomacy, achieving completely balanced relationships is not possible despite what some people suggest. "We have to maintain our relations by keeping national interest at the core. We should be open while dealing with India. Non-alignment has become increasingly irrelevant, and multilateralism is becoming important to us. In this context, we need to fine-tune our relations with India due to the emerging global and regional context," said Saud. Meanwhile, Vijaya Jolly, former in-charge of the BJP's foreign cell, sought increased support from Nepal in India's fight against terrorism, adding that India does not mind if Nepal conducts its independent foreign policy with any country. He highlighted the long-standing neighbourly relations between both nations and stated that there is no space for terrorism in South Asia. "Saarc is dead, and terror and trade cannot go together. After 2025, we have to give new dimensions to our bilateral ties," said Jolly, condemning the terror attack. "It was India which responded first when an earthquake struck Nepal in 2015. Prime Minister Modi visited Nepal for a record five times since 2014, but at the same time, nine Nepali prime ministers have gone on official visits to India. Over 7.5 million Nepali nationals are living and working in India, which makes our relations special and unique. The security forces of both countries are guarding their respective borders," he further added. India and Nepal share a close and long-standing relationship, characterised by extensive cooperation in various areas, including defence, trade, development, and cultural exchange, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA also mentioned that Nepal is a priority partner under India's "Neighbourhood First" policy. The frequent high-level visits and exchanges between the two nations have added momentum to the bilateral partnerships and helped the leadership to review at regular intervals the entire gamut of the relationship, the MEA mentioned.
India Gazette
16-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Nepal, India discuss climate cooperation on sidelines of Sagarmatha Sambaad
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 16 (ANI): In a bilateral engagement, Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and India's Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, held discussions on Friday on the sidelines of the Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu, focusing on climate cooperation and cross-border environmental priorities. Sagarmatha Sambaad, a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum and Nepal's flagship diplomatic initiative, is aimed at fostering dialogue on pressing global issues. The 2025 edition of the forum is centred around the theme, 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity,' bringing together a diverse group of international participants and stakeholders committed to sustainable development. In line with this year's theme, the meeting between the two ministers addressed a broad spectrum of Nepal-India relations, including areas of shared interest such as climate action, biodiversity, and regional cooperation. The ministers explored how both countries could work together to strengthen environmental protection and promote joint action on climate change. Rana expressed her appreciation to Minister Yadav and the Indian government for attending the event and contributing to its discussions. 'A good meeting with H.E. Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India. We took stock of the gamut of deep-rooted Nepal-India ties. Given India's role as a climate leader, we value Yadav's important perspective at the Sagarmatha Sambaad,' the Nepali Foreign Minister tweeted. Both sides emphasised the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed earlier in the day between the two nations on biodiversity conservation, describing it as a meaningful step forward in enhancing environmental collaboration. The ministers also reviewed recent bilateral engagements and reaffirmed the need for stronger joint efforts to tackle climate change, which they acknowledged as a shared regional and global challenge. Minister Yadav arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday to participate in the ongoing Sagarmatha Dialogue. (ANI)
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Business Standard
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Mountain Dialogue: India, Nepal pledge deeper climate, biodiversity ties
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday met with Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation in clean energy, biodiversity conservation, and protection of natural resources, according to a PTI report. Yadav was in Kathmandu to attend the 'Sagarmatha Sambaad' (Mountain Dialogue), a high-level forum focused on 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity.' Alongside his participation in the dialogue, he also held meetings with Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and his counterpart Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri. Humbled to have met Hon'ble PM of Nepal Shri KP Sharma Oli ji on the sidelines of Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu, Nepal today. Communicated India's appreciation for organising Sagarmatha Sambaad to discuss 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity'. Both sides… — Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) May 16, 2025 In a post on X, Yadav wrote, "Communicated India's appreciation for organising Sagarmatha Sambaad to discuss Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity. Both sides showed willingness to deepen ties in areas of clean energy, biodiversity conservation and protecting our natural resources." Bilateral meetings on forests, wildlife, and energy Yadav also met with Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, Nepal's minister for forest and environment. "We held very fruitful discussions on a range of issues including energy partnership between our two sides, working together as partners in the International Big Cat Alliance, and biodiversity conservation with a focus on tiger conservation," Yadav posted on X after the meeting, adding that they explored ways to cooperate on addressing forest fires in Nepal's mountainous regions. Strengthening Indo-Nepal climate collaboration Yadav and Foreign Minister Deuba discussed various aspects of the longstanding bilateral relationship. A statement from Deuba's office noted that the talks touched on broad areas of cooperation, especially concerning climate change. In a post on social media, Deuba wrote, "We took stock of the gamut of deep-rooted Nepal-India ties. Given India's role as a climate leader, we value HE Yadav's important perspective at the Sagarmatha Sambaad." The Nepalese foreign ministry noted that both sides recognised the shared challenges of climate change and agreed on the importance of collaboration to mitigate its impacts. Nepal PM calls for unified global action on climate Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day Sagarmatha Sambaad, Prime Minister Oli pointed out the urgent need for honest dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collective action to combat the effects of climate change — particularly in mountainous regions. "The event was held with the understanding that preserving the Himalayas means preserving the Earth, the oceans, and humanity itself," said Oli. He drew attention to the increasing natural disasters affecting the region, saying, "Our homes are being washed away by landslides. Floods and droughts arrive unexpectedly, yet we remain strong. Our emissions are low, but our contributions to environmental conservation are significant. We hope that this dialogue becomes high in moral clarity, strong intellectual courage, and a firm shared vision to create a beautiful future."
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
High time India, Nepal PMs meet and resolve issues: Ex-PM Baburam Bhattarai
NEW DELHI: Baburam Bhattarai, the former Prime Minister of Nepal, said on Monday that it will be very difficult for Nepal to survive if India and Nepal do not share good relations. He emphasized that the Prime Ministers of the two countries should meet and resolve the existing issues. 'It is high time that the two PMs meet and resolve the problems left by history,' Bhattarai said while interacting with the media at the Press Club of India in New Delhi. 'If we have a good relationship with India, Nepal can progress,' he said and suggested following the path of dialogue, proposing the formation of a committee of eminent persons from both countries to review treaties and disputes. He further stated that the relationship between the two countries should remain strong, regardless of changes in government. When asked about Nepal's relations with China, he described China as Nepal's second neighbor, given that Nepal lies between India and China. 'Nepal has India on its three sides, and in the north is China, which has only two roads connecting the two countries,' said Bhattarai. As per the latest trade figures, India's trade with Nepal stands at 67 percent, compared to 13 percent with China. In response to a question about recent pro-monarchy demonstrations, the former PM dismissed any significant support for the monarchy, stating that the demonstrations and protests were actually against the government of KP Sharma Oli. He described it as resentment against the current government, not support for monarchy. However, he assured that democracy in Nepal would not be weakened. Bhattarai plans to launch a political party aimed at strengthening democracy in the country. Baburam Bhattarai is on a visit to India to participate in the convention of the Progressive Nepali Society Committee, India. On Monday, he met India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. During the meeting, the two leaders held positive discussions on strengthening Nepal-India relations and taking development and economic cooperation to new heights, according to Bhattarai's secretariat. Bhattarai also mentioned meeting leaders from BJP, Congress, and other political parties.
