Foreign secretary S Jaishankar has announced that Brigunj's advanced Integrated Check Post between India and Nepal will be operationalised by December 2017 to facilitate trade.
Briefing the media about the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Foreign Secretary said, "Brigunj Integrated Check Posts will be operationalise this year and Nepal and India have agreed to speed up work on the other two planned Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj which provide various facilities including immigration, customs check, quarantine, freight forwarding, information and communication technology management, financial institutions and others for the convenience of traders."
"The most important project is the Petroleum pipeline project from Motihari in Bihar to supply fuel to neighbour Nepal through the planned pipeline up to Amlekganj in Nepal," Jaishankar added.
In August 2015, the Indian and Nepalese governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a product pipeline, and subsequently IOC and Nepal Oil Corporation entered into a MoU for laying down of the pipeline by the Indian company.
Jaishankar said that Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba briefed Prime Minister Modi about the recent developments of his country and Modi congratulated his counterpart for successful conduct of two phases of local level elections.
He further revealed, "Both the leaders discussed issues broadly from the earthquake reconstruction issue, and the development of the democratic institutions in Nepal that are indispensable for peace, development and prosperity."
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"Prime Minister Modi also appreciated the efforts being made by the government of Nepal to take all sections on board in the Constitution implementation process and establishment as a federal democratic Republic," the Foreign Secretary added.
The Foreign Secretary said that both the leaders recognised that being the open border both India and Nepal had to take extra care to ensure this border isn't misused.
He said that India and Nepal today inked eight pacts, including on cooperation in countering drug trafficking. The pacts were signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on strategic bilateral and regional issues.
India has been building the ICPs at all the four places on both sides of the border, and they are expected to facilitate trade as a result of integrated services.
The two leaders also jointly inaugurated the Kataiya-Kusaha and Raxaul-Parwanipur cross border power transmission lines.
Deuba said Nepal would "never allow any anti-India activities from its soil."
Had a positive meeting reviewing the gamut of our partnership," Prime Minister Modi said at a joint press event with Deuba and assured him of India's commitment towards overall growth and development of the Himalayan nation.
Jaishankar said, "The Terai road project has made progress as India has now awarded 12 contracts for nine roads covering roughly 240km and New Delhi hopes that Nepal side will work to remove the other impediments for the successful implementation of the project."
India and Nepal on Thursday inked eight pacts, including on cooperation in countering drug trafficking.
The pacts were signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on strategic bilateral and regional issues.
"Had a positive meeting reviewing the gamut of our partnership," Modi said at a joint press event with Deuba and assured him of India's commitment towards overall growth and development of the Himalayan nation.
Deuba said Nepal would "never allow any anti-India activities from its soil".
The two leaders also jointly inaugurated the Kataiya-Kusaha and Raxaul-Parwanipur cross border power transmission lines.
Modi identified defence and security as an important aspect of bilateral ties.
The following MoUs were signed between India and Nepal:
1. MoU for Utilisation of India's Housing Grant Component to support reconstruction of 50,000 houses
2. MoU on implementation of reconstruction package in the education sector in Nepal
3. MoU on implementation of reconstruction package in the Cultural Heritage sector in Nepal
4. MoU on implementation of reconstruction package in the Health sector in Nepal
5. MoU on agreement on cooperation in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment
6. MoU for implementation arrangement on cost sharing, schedules and safeguard issues for construction of Mechi Bridge
7. MoU on Drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in Narcotic drugs, Psychotropic substances and precursor chemical and related matters
8. MoU between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal.