By Modnath Dhakal in Rising Nepal, 26 Nov, 2020
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is arriving in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Shringla’s Nepal visit comes as yet another step towards improving the relations between Nepal and India, that went sour after the latter published a map incorporating Nepali territory in the Kalapani region of Darchula district in November last year and, in response, the former published a new map including Nepal’s territory in May this year.
The two-day trip of the top diplomat is the third in a row from the southern neighbour after the year-long stalemate — including the ritualistic visit of the Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane earlier this month.
In October, Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Chief Samant Goel paid a visit to Nepal as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Goel’s visit was the outcome of the telephone conversation between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Modi on August 15, the Independency Day of the southern neighbour.
Although his visit drew a widespread criticism even from the leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), the government said that it was an effort in mending the ties between the two countries.
The relations between the two neighbours hit the nadir after India, ignoring diplomatic notes from Nepal in protest to the map incorporating the Nepali territory and continuous calls for dialogue, developed and inaugurated a road link to Lipulek, border with Tibet, in May this year. Against this backdrop, the visit
of top diplomats like Shringla is expected to further ease the relations between the two countries.
Reports in the Indian media have also hinted that there would be informal discussions about the border issue during the bilateral meetings. However, Nepal will have to wait for yet another talk to formally discuss its grievances.
Although the trip is the continuation of the regular exchange of high-level visits between the two friendly neighbours, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it would be an important step in fixing the soured relations.
“This is an effort to resolve the bilateral issues between the two neighbours through dialogue. We firmly believe in bilateral conversations and this visit will further develop the environment of dialogue between Nepal and India,” said Dr. Rajan Bhattarai, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Oli.
He stressed the continuation of such visits and dialogues between the two nations. “This is a very positive development as it has exhibited readiness of both the countries for dialogue,” he said.
Former Ambassador Suresh Raj Chalise termed the development ‘highly positive’. “It has shown that India is also equally interested in improving relations through dialogue,” he said.
According to him, relations between the neighbours like Nepal and India should be dynamic and they cannot remain without dialogue for long. He said that given the recent regional and international developments, dialogue was Nepal’s wish and India’s need. Shringla is paying the official visit to Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal.
On November 26, he will participate in the bilateral foreign-secretary level meeting which will discuss wide ranging areas of cooperation between the two countries, said the MoFA. He is scheduled to call on the high-level dignitaries in Nepal on the same day.
Shringla will also deliver a talk on India’s neighbourhood policy and Nepal-India relations at Soaltee Hotel in Kathmandu on Friday morning. The programme is being organised by Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs. He will hand over COVID-19-related support to Nepal as well.
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