India and Nepal have agreed to review their bilateral treaties as Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ made progress in mending the frayed relations between the neighbours.
The positive vibes coming from the talks held between Prachanda and Singh were reflected when the Nepalese PM, who is on his maiden political visit to India, extended his stay in Delhi till tomorrow afternoon.
Singh and Prachanda would issue a joint declaration tomorrow, an event which was not a part of the original plan of Prachanda’s visit.
Briefing mediapersons on the talks, Nepal’s foreign minister Upinder Yadav said all the existing treaties between the two countries would be reviewed at the foreign secretary level. “The treaties will be updated and if need be, totally rewritten to make these relevant to the changed geo-political realities,” Yadav said.
Yadav said both the countries had agreed to set up mechanisms to deal with all the outstanding issues — management of water resources, flood control, criminals and terrorists taking advantage of the porous Indo-Nepal border.
He said India had assured Nepal to continue supplies of food grains and oil, and to “extend all cooperation for harnessing hydroelectric projects on the basis of mutual benefits”.
Earlier in the day, Prachanda had said that he told Indian leaders that his country’s territory would not be allowed to be used against India.
Speaking at a civic reception hosted by the India-Nepal Friendship Forum, Prachanda said, “Nepal understands India’s security concerns.” He said just before he came to Delhi for his maiden political visit, Nepal’s Parliament passed a resolution to declare that the country’s soil would not be used against any other country.
Referring to his talks with Singh and other leaders, Prachanda said, “I am going back with renewed enthusiasm and satisfaction that both the countries empathise with each other on the need to change the dynamics of their relationship.”
