External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
During this, both the sides discussed the centuries-old and multi-dimensional Nepal-India relations. Jaishankar has reached Nepal as part of his first foreign trip this year.
He said on Focused on contact.
Thus, India-Nepal relations are truly special and our partnership is continuously moving towards success.
The two leaders also jointly inaugurated three cross-border transmission lines. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said that economic relations, connectivity, trade and transit, power and water resources, education, culture and political matters were also discussed between the two countries.
During Prime Minister Prachanda’s visit to India, an agreement was reached between the two countries on export of electricity. Prachanda was on a visit to India from May 31 to June 3 last year.
At that time, both sides had signed several major agreements, including an agreement to increase India’s electricity import from the neighboring country to 10,000 MW in the next 10 years from the current 450 MW.
Historic power export agreement signed
The power export agreement was signed in the meeting between Jaishankar and Nepal’s Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet.
It is known that Nepal has made this agreement bypassing China. This deal was continuously opposed by Beijing and it also tried to intimidate Nepal.
This agreement between India and Nepal is for 25 years, which will open the way for electricity trade between the two countries. It is known that India has helped Nepal in developing many hydropower projects.
Also some more projects are currently in the pipeline. This definitely strengthens the mutual relations between the two countries.
China’s eye on hydropower sector
India has a bread and daughter relationship with Nepal. It has also been used extensively by politicians in New Delhi. On the other hand, China has also increased its activism within Nepal more than before.
Roads have been built in Nepal through the Chinese initiative called Belt and Road. Beijing is now eyeing the hydropower sector.
According to the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Nepal finds itself uneasy between the two big powers of Asia, China and India.
There is a competition between Beijing and New Delhi for political influence over Nepal. In this way, now both of them have their eyes on the hydropower sector of the country. With 6000 rivers, Nepal has the potential to generate 42,000 MW of electricity.