India and Nepal reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral relationship

Visiting Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met with his Nepalese counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal in Kathmandu on Monday to discuss the extensive India-Nepal partnership. During the meeting, they agreed on further strengthening their economic and development cooperation for the benefit of both nations and the region as a whole.

The meeting took place during Foreign Secretary Kwatra's first official visit to Nepal, which was at the invitation of Nepalese Foreign Secretary Paudyal.

"Foreign Secretary Shri Vinay Kwatra met his counterpart Mr Bharat Raj Paudyal and reviewed the wide-ranging India-Nepal partnership," the Indian Embassy in Nepal tweeted.

"Both sides agreed to further strengthen their economic and development cooperation for benefit of the two countries and region as a whole," the Indian Embassy added.

The Indian Foreign Secretary also called on Nepal's Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal and discussed steps to strengthen the comprehensive ties between the two countries.

"Foreign Secretary Shri Vinay Kwatra called on Hon’ble Foreign Minister of Nepal @bimalarp today and had a fruitful exchange on strengthening the comprehensive India-Nepal relations," the Indian Embassy in Nepal tweeted.

Later in the day, Foreign Secretary Kwatra paid a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas and conveyed greetings on behalf of Indian President Droupadi Murmu.

The visit is in line with the long-standing practice of regular high-level interactions between India and Nepal and reflects India's emphasis on its ties with Nepal as part of its 'Neighborhood First' strategy.

Since the pre-independence era, India and Nepal have had a shared history and cultural ties, and their bilateral cooperation has been growing in recent years. Due to this, India has played a significant role in aiding the development of Nepal through initiatives for connectivity and infrastructure.

India is one of Nepal's major development partners, and its support for Nepal's infrastructure and connectivity has been crucial in promoting the country's economic development and regional integration.

India has also been instrumental in reconstructing a large number of buildings and historical landmarks following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. India's assistance in this area has aided in both the promotion of tourism in Nepal as well as the restoration of the country's damaged infrastructure.

In addition to providing grants, the Government of India has made USD 1.65 billion in Lines of Credit available for infrastructure development, including post-earthquake rebuilding projects.

Since 2003, India has taken up over 532 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal. It has completed 476 of these projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation and creation of other public utilities across all seven provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level.