Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday urged Indian industry to invest heavily in the Himalayan country, notwithstanding the recent border blockade that adversely impacted bilateral trade following the Madhesi unrest.
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The agreements signed on Saturday between the two sides included those on utilisation of an Indian grant of $250 million for post-earthquake reconstruction, improving road infrastructure in Nepal’s Terai area, cultural cooperation, transit between Nepal and Bangladesh through the Kakarbitta-Banglabandh corridor, and use of Visakapatnam port by Nepal.
“Modi government lifted the economic blockade just a few days ago after Prime Minister Oli took the stance that he would not visit India without lifting the blockade”, it said referring to the five-month agitation by the Madhesi community demanding better representation and political rights in the newly-promulgated Constitution.
Mr. Oli asked India to make most of the opportunities provided by Nepal and partner the new development process. The unrest led Oli, who was elected in October, to put off his visit to India, a traditional first stop for Nepali prime ministers heading overseas.
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“The whole India and I are in favour of economic development of Nepal…” Oli’s state visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which began on February 19, will go on till February 24. That said, there’s no escaping the fact that much distrust has crept into the India-Nepal relationship over the last few months. Modi described Nepal’s constitution as a “major achievement”, but cautioned that its ultimate success will hinge on “consensus and dialogue”. The agitators had blocked trading routes between India and Nepal for almost 4 months, crippling supply of petroleum products, medicines and other essential commodities to Nepal. Oli was speaking at a conference organised by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in the national capital. “They said that it was time to create the Constitution all the more and the political leadership came together and did so”, Swaraj said. Referring to India nudging Nepal to address concerns of sections of its people concerning the Constitution, Oli said: “The government of Nepal and people of Nepal are ready to address the genuine concerns and we understand the sensitivities of our neighbours”. It is also New Delhi’s last ditch effort to convince Oli and resolve the ongoing crisis in Nepal.
