Nepal committed to better ties with India

August 21st, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's Communication and Information Minister and spokesman Shankar Pokharel on Friday described the five-day visit to India of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal as a milestone in Indo-Nepal relations. "The visit is a milestone in Nepal-India relations," Pokharel told reporters.

August 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will arrive here Tuesday for a five-day visit - his first trip to India after becoming premier. Nepal is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

August 15th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's Minister for Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato has said that Nepal and India will ink two key treaties to boost bilateral trade and provide more trade facilities during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal's visit to New Delhi from August 18. Talking to reporters here, Mahato said: "Nepal and India will sign at least two treaties to expand trade and provide more trade facilities including opening new border points for movement of goods between the two countries." Mahato, who will accompany Nepal during the visit said, "The amendments in Nepal-India Trade Treaty - 1996 and a Treaty to Control Unauthorized Trade are the two documents on which the two nations will put their seal during Nepals visit." The other two treaties are aimed at eliminating double taxation and agreement on promotion and protection of investments.

August 14th, 2009 KATMANDU - Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Friday hinted that Nepal and India may reach an agreement on starting some new projects during his visit to India. Saying that his visit is aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and bilateral ties, he urged everyone not to view his visit with suspicion.

July 14th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Within 48 hours of Indian Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal visiting Nepal to inspect the repaired embankment of the Kosi river that had created havoc in both countries last year, India gave Nepal NRs.131.6 million (about $1.6 million) to fight floods. Alok K. Sinha, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Tuesday handed over a cheque of NRs.131.6 million to Umakant Jha, secretary at Nepal's irrigation ministry, as India's contribution for the construction of embankments along the Lalbakeya and Bagmati rivers.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday declared that the Obama administration was "clearly committed to furthering and deepening relationship with India in every way possible". Setting at rest speculation that unlike the previous Bush administration, President Barack Obama was ignoring New Delhi, she said both Obama and she herself were committed to build stronger ties with India.

June 9th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal and India signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering cooperation under the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework here on Monday. The MOUs were signed by Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Gyan Chandra Acharya and Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood.

June 9th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood said on Tuesday that a joint committee is working towards finalisation of a boundary map between India and Nepal to resolve the border issue that has long been in contention. "The technical-level committee is working towards finalisation of the map," Rakesh Sood said.

May 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has congratulated his Nepalese counterpart Madhav Kumar Nepal on his appointment as Prime Minister and invited the latter to visit India.

May 25th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) chief Karen Ladgren have separately met newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal at the latter's residence, Koteshwor. They congratulated Nepal on his election as the new Prime Minister and extended best wishes for his successful term.

May 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congratulating Nepal's new prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, India Monday hoped that the peace process, including the framing of the constitution, would move expeditiously and offered the country any support it needed. "We congratulate Madhav Nepal on his election as the Prime Minister of Nepal, External Affairs Minister S.M.

March 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood urged cooperation from the Nepal Government for maintaining security along the border in view of the upcoming general elections in India. Sood urged this during the meeting with Prime Minister Prachanda here on Thursday.

March 24th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Power Trading Corporation (PTC) of India has proposed to supply additional 500 MW electricity to Nepal. Nepalnews quoted Shankar Prasad Koirala, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, as saying that PTC had stated in a letter to the ministry that it could provide 500 MW in 18 months if Nepal government agreed to its proposal.

February 15th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Three months after he had accompanied Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Nepal, India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon is arriving in Kathmandu Tuesday on a two-day visit. The Indian envoy is scheduled to hold talks with Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and opposition leader and former premier Girija Prasad Koirala.

January 6th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Though the growing dispute over the ouster of Indian priests at Nepal's revered Pashupatinath temple has saddened some Indians, it would however not hurt India-Nepal ties, India's top envoy in Nepal has said. Rakesh Sood, India's ambassador to Nepal, said that Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has pledged that his government would obey the orders of the Supreme Court in this regard.