FM Rana's Successful Visit To India

Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba returned home last week after an official visit to India from August 18-22. The visit was the first by the foreign minister after she took the helm of Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a month ago, under the new government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The visit coincided with the medical treatment of Minister Deuba in a Delhi hospital. However, with an invitation from Indian Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar for a formal visit, she also met with him and held talks on bilateral issues. Although unexpected, she was also given an opportunity to call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also met with leader and Chief of Foreign Department of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vijay Chauthaiwale, during her visit. 

Goodwill trip

The visit was just a goodwill visit and had no special agenda, but was important at a time when a new coalition government had been formed in Nepal under KP Sharma Oli, and there were doubts about how the Indian government would treat the new government in Nepal. Some sections of society had speculated that since it was just an occasion for the minister to have medical treatment, India would not give much attention to her, and her meeting with the Indian Prime Minister was unexpected. But, she was successful in having courtesy call on PM Modi, and handed over the invitation letter to him from Prime Minister Oli for a state visit to Nepal in the near future. 

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had recently visited Nepal and had meetings with almost all high government officials of Nepal. Nepal had conveyed the country's major concerns to India in those meetings. He was on a goodwill visit to all neighbouring countries after his appointment as foreign secretary after serving as Deputy National Security Advisor and Indian ambassador to China. But, this was an occasion for newly appointed Foreign Minister Deuba to convey the country's major concerns to the Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and later to Prime Minister Modi himself. 

Even as India is pursuing a neighbourhood first policy, its relations with most South Asian countries are not as cordial as expected. The recent Bangladesh upheavals had also raised some anti-India sentiments in that country. On this backdrop, it is natural that India treated Minister Dr. Deuba very well and listened to Nepal's concerns from the new foreign minister herself. Upon arrival from New Delhi after her first and successful visit as a foreign minister abroad, Dr. Deuba said PM Modi listened to Nepal's concerns attentively and she had the impression that Modi really loved Nepal. She said it was also an opportunity to gauge India's impression of the new government formed by two largest political parties of Nepal, Nepali Congress and CPN- UML. She found that India was positive on the new government. 

The new foreign minister held talks with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on various issues between the two countries, as well on the progress made in projects run in Nepal with the Indian cooperation.  They discussed on matters related to energy, trade and transit, floods and inundation in the border areas, air routes, border infrastructure, connectivity, climate change and other issues. She also discussed the much-delayed Pancheswor Multipurpose Project (PMP) to be built in Mahakali River, which is in limbo for many years since an agreement was signed between the two countries in 1996.  If implemented, the 6480 MW project can be a game changer project in the development of Nepal.

Air routes 

Nepal is consistently raising the issue of further air routes to operate international flights from newly built Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport which are crucial for Nepal's connectivity with other countries in the region and beyond. In this backdrop, new air routes are urgent for Nepal which would further enhance relations between the two countries. Indian PM Modi's acceptance of the invitation by PM Oli for a state visit to Nepal on a mutually comfortable date is indeed a positive gesture from India. 

Nepal and India, both members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), have many common problems with their geopolitical conditions, and have issues that are to be dealt with for common prosperity of the two people, as well as the people of the region.  With India rising as a world economic power, we also have opportunities for taking advantage from its prosperity. Rana's visit to India, though hastily planned, was successful in increasing goodwill between the two countries and paving the way for further higher level visits. It imperative for the two nations to address all the issues regarding trade and transit, energy, border dispute and Tarai inundation, among others, remaining between them in the days ahead. 

(The author is former chief reporter and senior executive editor of National News Agency, Nepal)