The Indian External Affairs Minister was welcomed by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi and Nepal Ambassador to India Nilamber Acharya at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Jaishankar was appointed as India’s External Affairs Minister after the sudden demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The MoFA informed that both the countries External Affairs Ministers- Nepal’s Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and India’s Jaishankar co-chaired the Nepal-India Joint Commission meeting.

The two-day meeting will review bilateral relations, economic cooperation, energy, culture and education, trade and transit and water resources informed the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

Fifth Meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission – Day 1

Starting on August 21, 2019, the Nepal-India Joint Commission began with opening remarks by the two countries representatives at the Hotel Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu.

During the meeting, the India delegation presented a cheque worth NPR 2.45 billion to Nepal as reimbursement to the Nepal Government for housing reconstruction in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts.

Besides, the Indian side also gave a cheque worth INR 80.71 crore to Nepal, as part of its commitment to providing INR 500 crore towards strengthening road infrastructure in the Nepal’s Terai Region.

A Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on food safety and standards was also signed between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Nepal Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.

The meeting also aims to fast-track past agreements signed by both nations.

After the meeting, Jaishankar made the following tweet.

Productive discussions with FM @PradeepgyawaliK at the 5th #IndiaNepal Joint Commission Meeting. Comprehensively reviewed our bilateral relations and identified priority areas for cooperation. pic.twitter.com/y0UlTqlaPi

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 21, 2019

“Productive discussions with FM @PradeepgyawaliK at the 5th #IndiaNepal Joint Commission Meeting. Comprehensively reviewed our bilateral relations and identified priority areas for cooperation,” said Jaishankar.

Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar Meets Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli

On the day Jaishankar arrived in Kathmandu, he payed a visit to PM Oli at his official residence in Baluwatar in the afternoon.

During their talks, Oli told Jaishankar that he had special relations with Modi and the two nations’ leaders  had spoken about the prosperity of Nepal and India.

To this, Jaishankar readily expressed India’s commitment to support Nepal in its every endeavor.

“The central message at the political level was that we are entering into a new chapter in bilateral ties,” said Rajan Bhattarai, Foreign Relations Advisor to PM Oli.

Oli took the opportunity to request Jaishankar that India receive the long-pending Eminent Persons’ Group report on Nepal-India relations. However, Jaishankar made no commitments on the same.

Both the nations eminent persons have been waiting for Modi’s to formally receive the report, which has certain recommendations that he is dissatisfied with.

Besides, the two ministers also spoke about the Jammu and Kashmir issue, which was followed by Jaishankar’s concerned query on the Nepal Prime Minister’s health.

“A warm and in-depth conversation with PM Oli. Really appreciate his receiving me amidst his many preoccupations,” tweeted Jaishankar shortly after the meeting.

The Indian Foreign Affairs Minister will meet with Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari on the second day of his visit to Nepal.

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In the latest Nepal political update, the Government appointed Nepal-India Eminent Persons’ Group member Nilamber Acharya to the long-vacant post.

Ever since the vacancy, Nepal Government was looking for a candidate with democratic credentials, especially Nepal-India relations and international affairs while also supporting the communist administration.

However, Acharya’s appointment by the leading Nepali Communist Party comes as a surprise, owing to his well-known affiliation to the Nepali Congress Party.

About Nilamber Acharya
Acharya was an interim minister after Nepal’s 1990 political change.

He was later appointed as Nepal Ambassador to Sri Lanka. In 2008, Nepali Congress nominated the minister to Nepal’s first Constituent Assembly and went on to lead the constitution committee.

Presently, he coordinates the Nepal Eminent Person Group on Nepal-India relations.

The new Ambassador is a Moscow graduate and has also served as an advocate.

Other Cabinet Nominations
The Nepal Cabinet also nominated Uday Raj Pandey as Nepal Ambassador to Malaysia and Krishna Dhakal as Nepal Ambassador to United Arab Emirates.

The cabinet decided to nominate Indira Niraula, Pitamber Timalsina and Rajesh Gurung as members of Nepal National Sports Council.

As part of the meeting, the cabinet also gave thematic approval to the Nepal National Priority Projects’ draft and decided to transfer Nepal former King’s family property ownership to Nepal Trust including the Kamaladi one.

Earlier, the Government had nominated former Nepal Election Commission Chief Commissioner Neelkantha Uprety as Nepal Ambassador to India. However, it withdrew this move following huge criticism.

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The recently held Eminent Persons’ Group meeting on Nepal-India Relations recommends incorporation of “smart borders” to limit cross-border movements only through ‘designated-points’.

This move comes as a measure to check infiltration, curb criminal activities and maintain records of people crossing either side of the body.

Additionally, Nepali officials reveal that the panel of experts also recommends issuance of electronic ID cards alongside incorporating specific entry points.

The Next Steps:
Once the plan is in place, both countries will initiate installation of security-check equipment across the border and issuance of electronic ID cards to their citizens.

Later, Nepal and India will decide which documents will replace the electronic ID cards; like passports, driving license and other ID proofs.

Currently, both the nations have machine-readable passports but lack digitized national ID cards, voter IDs or driving licenses.

What Nepal Officials Say?
According to a Nepali official, the report on the suggested ‘smart borders’ does not explain why the border should be made a smart border and how will this process come into play.

Nepali officials are also of the opinion that this border-security project is ‘ambitious’ and it may take years to action even if both, Nepal and Indian governments give a ‘nod’ for the proposal.

“People living near the border want it to be open, without any restrictions, because they have relatives and businesses on either side of the border,” says Nischal Nath Pandey, Foreign Policy Expert.

So, we are not sure how the government is going to maintain the same harmony, says Pandey, adding further.

Additionally, he recommends that the governments should consider public feedback before making any further plans.

Since discussions started in 2016, Nepal representatives have pointed that the border is not opened as provisioned by the 1950 Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty.

About the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group:
The National Securities body was formed in 2016. Since then, the group has had 9 meetings in both countries’ capitals, Kathmandu and New Delhi.

Conclusion:
Currently, people crossing the Nepal-India border don’t have to produce any ID proof plus there are no restricted entry-exit points.

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