The recent bilateral visit of Nepal's Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, to India has re-energized the India-Nepal relations, showcasing a pragmatic approach and mutual sensitivity.
The visit focused on reviewing the entire spectrum of the bilateral agenda, including political, economic, trade, energy, security, and developmental cooperation.
Prachanda deserves credit for taking a realistic approach and handling bilateral irritants with political courage, despite facing challenges and political instability at home.
Both Nepal and India showed sensitivity towards addressing the border issue, with a commitment to resolving it to mutual satisfaction, without insisting on their respective official versions.
The visit emphasized the priorities of economic integration, including hydropower projects for energy supply, infrastructure development, river transport access, innovative tourism circuits, and improved connectivity.
Renewed commitment to bilateral cooperation, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to deliver improved outcomes and promote economic prosperity.
Cooperation in the power sector, including the transmission passage for power trade from Nepal to Bangladesh through India, is a significant development, with long-term goals for increasing power export from Nepal to India.
Enhancing digital financial connectivity through cross-border digital payments and the use of space technology applications for various sectors such as telecommunication, broadcasting, healthcare, and disaster response is a crucial aspect of cooperation.
Nepal needs to focus on depoliticizing cooperation with India, improving the quality of democracy, governance, and combating corruption, while India should address the perception in Nepal that it is no longer a foreign policy priority.
It is important to provide a sense of ownership, equality, and credit for major advancements, such as hydropower projects, to parties across the political spectrum in Nepal, rather than solely to the government in power.
While the visit was criticized by some opposition parties in Nepal, a continued focus on development can lead to India going the extra mile to meet Nepal's needs and expectations.
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