Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli, the Prime-Minister of Nepal held a separate meet with Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime-Minister of India during the septet of the seventy-nine United Nations General Assembly at New York city. Both presidents met briefly at the UN headquarters and, among other things, touched upon the topics of the cooperation between two countries and in the framework of the United Nations.
The meeting is taking place on the backdrop of renewed vigour in enhancing relations between the two neighboring countries. Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who visited New York on Sunday, is the leading delegation to the UNGA. This is the first time he has personally attended the annual summit of global leaders since the start of the outbreak of coronavirus.
This was reportedly discussed during their meeting with the prime ministers expressing concern over pertinent topics such as trade relations, connectivity, and exchanges. They also discussed topics of regional interest and of international concern such as global warming.
The informed sources indicated that the meeting with the Nepali side is diplomatic and fruitful. Mr pik with an invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal at a time of mutual convenience, Prime Minister K P Oli. The former is said to have welcomed the invitation which was given by the later.
In as much as the meeting can be described as brief, it is considered as being strategic to help the two countries sustain high level interactions in the future. Due to historical, cultural and commercial linkages, relations between Nepal and India have had some complexities in the recent past mainly due to issue of territory and other problems.
Such politico-social informal interactions on the global platform are said to get the ball rolling towards formalisation of political bilateral relations. The two leaders had a last face-to-face meeting in BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu a year ago in August 2018.
Besides being cleared for a meeting with Mr Modi, the Nepali prime minister has a packed itinerary in New York. He is due to speak at the General Assembly on September 27; during which he will likely outline the government’s development agenda for Nepal and its international diplomacy.
PM Oli will also be also involved in some bilateral and other side events during his stay as well. Such sessions include those on climate change, post-sdgs, and financial resources for development amongst others. He is expected to attend top-level bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the countries.
In the prime minister’s entourage are the Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka and other top officials. They will also be able to interact with their counterparts of the different countries in the world and advance the agendas of Nepal.
At home the PM Oli and PM Modi meeting triggers huge interest. Political commentators in Kathmandu are particularly waiting for any consequences or decisions subsequent to this. Though serious outcomes are not likely to emerge from this short meeting, it is considered a good signal for Nepaldi-India relation.
The two countries have been endeavoring to settle bilateral outstanding questions and improve cooperation in different fields. The bilateral relation had been hostile up to recent visits from high-level delegations and agreements in trade, energy together with connectivity projects.
However, some difficulties exist: the most significant one is in the context of the long-standing issues with borders. Nepal and India still have not come to a consensus as to who owns the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura tri-junction area.
As PM Oli remains ajive with the UN, focus will now shift to, his speech to the general assembly. He is expected to speak on bilateral relations between Nepal and other countries and get support for the development of the country.
This visit also creates a chance to communicate with the Nepali population living the United States of America as well to listen from the prime minister. A recent meeting with the representatives of the Nepali organisations is expected where a PM Oli will point to his government’s policies and appeal to these organisations in regard to the further development of Nepal.
Moving further into the General Assembly of the United Nations, the short but meaningful encounter between the PM’s of Nepal and India stands testament to the proposition that no country is an island in the modern world. Very little has been mentioned on how this top-level communication will stretch down to specific initiatives aimed at deepening the partnership in the following months