Indian Minister S. Jaishankar arriving tomorrow

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 3: External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar is visiting Nepal for two days on January 4 and 5. 

He is coming to Nepal on an official visit to participate at a high-level Nepal-India Joint Commission between the two countries led by the foreign ministers. This mechanism reviews the bilateral relations between the two countries. 

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Amrit Bahadur Rai said that the meeting of the bilateral mechanism would discuss the bilateral issues including economic cooperation and commerce. 

Jaishankar is leading an Indian delegation at the seventh JC meeting scheduled to be held in Kathmandu. He is coming to Nepal after four years. 

Meanwhile, to discuss the upcoming visit of his Indian counterpart and solicit suggestions for the preparation, Foreign Minister NP Saud held a dis

cussion with former foreign ministers, foreign secretaries and ambassadors to India on Tuesday. Emphasising that Nepal’s relationship with India is important, experts suggested increasing Nepal’s exports to India, expanding electricity trade, strengthening cross-border infrastructure, emphasising the timely completion of development projects started in the past, and addressing issues such as air routes, informed the FM’s Secretariat in a statement on Tuesday. 

The MoFA source said that the meeting would deliberate on the energy trade and border issues as well. India is Nepal’s largest partner with about two thirds of foreign trade happening with it. Participants of the discussion included former Foreign Minister Dr. Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, former foreign secretaries Madhu Raman Acharya, Arjun Thapa, Durga Bhattarai, Bharat Raj Poudyal and former ambassador to India Durgesh Man Singh.

Meanwhile, FM Saud held a meeting with a joint delegation of Canada-Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce at his office in Singha Durbar on Tuesday. During the meeting Minister Saud assured them that the government would leave no stone unturned to facilitate foreign investment in Nepal. 

Talking about the upcoming Nepal Investment Summit, he urged them to bring in investment to Nepal. Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce President Naresh Kumar Chavda said that the Canadian private sector wanted to work in Nepal, especially in the fields of agriculture, food, textiles and hydropower.

Canada-Nepal Chamber of Commerce President Bijaya Paudel and Chavda had led their respective delegation to the meeting.