Stating that Nepal is India’s largest trade partner, India’s Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishnkar has said that a pipeline from Siliguri to Jhapa in Nepal is being explored.  We are Nepal’s largest trade partner and a significant supplier of petroleum products from facilities in Assam and West Bengal, he said.

Addressing the Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022 on May 28, Jaishankar said Narendra Modi’s visit to Lumbini this month was the most recent occasion to take our cooperation with Nepal forward.

He said, “A road connecting Sikkim to eastern Nepal via the Chiwa Bhanjyang border is also under construction as part of India’s Border Area Development Programme. With its completion, Sikkim will have access to Nepal’s East-West Highway, with a boost to trade and tourism in both countries. The game-changing potential is evident.”