Nepal-India Joint Commission discuss a gamut of bilateral issues

 The sixth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission today reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations that included the important areas of Covid-19 vaccine, boundary and border management, connectivity and economic cooperation, trade and transit, power and water resources, and culture and education, among others, according to a press note issued by the Foreign Ministry.

Held in New Delhi today and co-chaired by foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar – as leaders of the respective delegations – the meeting of the Joint Commission also appreciated the close coordination between the two sides in facing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the press note reads, adding that the Nepali side thanked the Government of India for its assistance of essential medicines and medical equipment. “On Nepal’s request for the Government of India’s support in availing Covid-19 vaccines, the Indian side assured that the requirements of Nepal would be in priority consideration after the roll-out of vaccines.”

The meeting discussed the boundary matter and expressed the commitment to early completion of the boundary works in the remaining segments. “It also discussed the review of the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950, submission of the report of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), and air entry routes,” the press note adds.

The two ministers expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved in increasing cross-border infrastructure and connectivity, strengthening of development partnership and expeditious implementation of major ongoing projects and initiatives, including the first cross-border petroleum products pipeline, Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at major border crossing points, railway links, power transmission lines, upgradation of roads and motorable bridges. The meeting also agreed to further speed up the implementation of the ongoing and planned bilateral projects such as the new Integrated Check Posts (ICP), Inland Container Depot (ICD), including at Dodhara-Chadani, remaining cross border railways, roads, and transmission lines, among others, the press note adds.

The Joint Commission deliberated on the progress in the discussions held between the two sides to review the bilateral treaties on trade, transit and rail services. “Both sides agreed for an early conclusion of the review of Treaty of Trade, Treaty of Transit and the amendments to Rail Services Agreement (RSA) with a view to further strengthen cooperation in these fields. They also discussed on progress in operationalisation of connectivity through inland waterways.

The meeting agreed to expedite the work for 400 Kv Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line, it reads, adding that reiterating the importance of Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project and taking note of the positive discussion at the recent bilateral meeting of the secretary-level delegations held in New Delhi, the Joint Commission agreed for early finalisation of the project DPR. “The meeting also deliberated on the inundation problems facing people living in border areas especially due to non-tagging of embankments, interlinking of drains, and inadequate drainage provision.”

The Nepal-India Joint Commission was established in 1987 with a view to review and further strengthen all aspects of bilateral relations.

The Nepali delegation to the meeting included Nepali ambassador Nilamber Acharya, foreign secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, health secretary Laxman Aryal and the officials of various ministries, departments and the Nepali embassy. Likewise, Indian external affairs minister Jaishanker was accompanied by Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and India’s ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra. 

Meanwhile, foreign minister Gyawali today gave a talk at the Indian Council of World Affairs (Sapru House) on ‘Nepal-India Relations’ and interacted with the distinguished audience comprising of former ambassadors, academics, think-tank analysts and media persons. 

The foreign minister reached New Delhi yesterday to participate in the meeting as its co-chair, though back home there is a hearing going at the Supreme Count on either the incumbent government led by KP Sharma Oli is caretaker or not as the prime minister dissolved the House of Representatives on December 20 and declared a mid-term poll, instead of facing no confidence motion in the House. Oli’s House dissolution move has been challenged in the Supreme Court. 

Before today’s Joint Commission meeting, Gyawali and Jaishankar held a one-on-one bilateral talk, sources at the Indian capital said, adding that the minister is also scheduled to hold high-level talks with the Indian authorities.

Nepal-India Joint Commission to review past agreements

The fifth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission has nothing new on the table to discuss, though it has been going to be held after three years. The last meeting of the commission was held in New Delhi in 2016. This meeting should have been held in February, but was postponed due to the Indian parliamentary elections.
When Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar will arriving next week, the commission will review the past agreements only, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The meeting is taking place after three years, where foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali will discuss with his Indian counterpart to discuss and review all aspects of bilateral ties, though there is no new agenda on the table. S Jaishankar – after becoming the Indian external affairs minister – is arriving Kathmandu on August 21.
It is also the first high-level visit from India since the reelection – in May – of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term.
“We will review past agreements, projects and commitments,” foreign secretary Shankar Das Bairagi said, adding that there is no new issue in the meeting. “We will make a comprehensive review of all aspects of Nepal-India relations under five broad clusters including political, security and boundary; economic cooperation and infrastructure; trade and transit; power and water resources; culture and education.”
All previous agreements and projects will be discussed within the purview under those five clusters, he said, adding that the report prepared by the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India Relations, which has yet to be submitted to the prime ministers of the two countries, will also be discussed. “The report prepared last year remains with the Group.”
Nepal will be pitching the report during the meeting so that an environment can be created to put its suggestions into action. On top of the agenda is clearing bottlenecks for India-funded projects in Nepal including inundation on the Nepal side of the border during the rainy season; the construction of roads and bridges, cross-order connectivity, including railways, inland waterways, Nepal’s request to use two additional Indian ports in Gujarat and Odisha, energy banking, early financial closure of the Upper Karnali hydropower project, inauguration of an integrated check-post in Biratnagar, cross-border petroleum pipeline and transmission lines, and the finalisation of projects to utilise grant and loan offered by the government of India for reconstruction.
According to foreign minister Gyawali, India-funded projects that have been in limbo for nearly 20 years should be dropped. “Let's drop projects that have been pending for so long,” he said, adding that they are only creating irritants between the two countries.
Though he did not mention the manes of the projects, an understanding had been reached between Nepal and India during the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s state visit to India in April to develop a cross-border railway connecting Kathmandu with Raxaul, develop inland waterways from Kolkata to the Nepal border via the Ganga River and cooperation in the agriculture sector.
It seems that the incumbent government does not want to expedite old projects but wants to execute the promises made during Oli’s visit to India.
The joint commission at the foreign minister level is the highest mechanism that will review all aspects of bilateral ties between the two countries, and is empowered to take decisions as well as plan new projects.
However, the agenda for the visit includes ballooning trade deficit with India, signing the mutual recognition agreement with India for pesticide residue test, completing the detailed project report of Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project to start further action, compensation for Nepali citizens as per Gandak Agreement, early completion of the link canal and head regulator at Tanakpur barrage for the discharge of water to Nepal as per the provision of Mahakali Treaty, according to the Foreign Ministry that is not yet convinced of any concrete results from the discussions.
They will also discuss on the synchronisation of customs and connectivity at the ICD Dodhara-Chandani, and border points at Dodhara-Chandani-Khatima and Dhangadhi-Gauriphanta, among others.
During his visit to Kathmandu, Jaishankar is going to meet with President Bidya Devi Bhandari, the prime minister, and other senior political leaders. He will interact with a broad spectrum of Nepali political leaders to discuss what the new government in India thinks about Nepal and, most importantly, help New Delhi plan its Nepal policy.

Nepal-India EPG agrees to update all bilateral treaties

The Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) – in a major breakthrough – has agreed to update all the bilateral treaties and agreements reached by Nepal and India in the past in line with the current reality of both the two countries.
The ninth meeting of the EPG that concluded in Kathmandu today prepared a single joint report that will soon be submitted to the prime ministers of Nepal and India.
The single report became possible after both sides agreed to replace the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship by a new one, to regulate the Nepal-India border by making people produce identity cards while crossing over to either side, and to jointly tackle common challenges in areas of combating terrorism, extremism and all kinds of trafficking, according to the nembers of the group.
Though the group had the mandate to review the entire gamut of Nepal-India relations and recommend updates in the bilateral agreements and treaties including Nepal-India Friendship Treaty 1950, it had to look into five broad areas of bilateral relations – politics, government-to-government ties, development cooperation, economic deals, and cultural relations – between Nepal and India. The formation of the EPG was first agreed during the Nepal visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2014, and formed in January 2016.
They said that the report will be submitted to prime ministers of Nepal and India soon. "The group will submit the report to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then to Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli," according to a member of the group.
"This is a step forward in reviewing and resolving various bilateral issues," he said, adding that the group has succeeded in preparing the joint report in consensus. 
There are four members each from Nepali and Indian sides in the group. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, Nilambar Acharya, Suryanath Upadhyay and Rajan Bhattarai are from Nepal and Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Mahendra P Lama, Jayanta Prasad and B C Upreti are the members from India. "Both sides have agreed to suggest the governments of Nepal and India replacement of the 1950 Treaty by a new one," according to Nepal coordinator of the group Bhekh Bahadur Thapa.
On the 1950 Treaty, which Nepal considers unequal, both sides have suggested replacing it with revision to articles 2, 5, 6 and 7," another member of the group said, adding, "On the issue of national treatment for citizens of the other country, both sides have agreed to consider the nations’ sizes of geography and population."
After the EPG submits the report, both the governments will be responsible for the implement the recommendations.
Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali had couple of weeks ago also said that only ‘two issues’ remained to be sorted out to finalise the report. The eighth meeting was held in New Delhi on April 12 and 13. The meetings used to be held alternatively in Nepal and India.