Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar returns home

Wrapping up his two-day visit to Nepal, External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar returned home on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal bade farewell to him at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

During his visit, Nepal and India on Thursday signed a landmark agreement on bilateral energy cooperation, allowing seamless export of Nepal’s energy to the Indian market. As per the agreement, India will purchase up to 10,000 MW electricity in the next 10 years.

He also held separate meetings with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, President Ram Chandra Paudel and other political leaders. After the meeting with PM Dahal, Jaishankar recalled the former’s “successful visit to India in June 2023 which has imparted a new momentum to our ties.”

Jaishankar said they discussed the “follow-up, including through Joint Commission”, adding that India-Nepal friendship is indeed unique and is moving from strength to strength.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said various aspects of Nepal-India relations were discussed under the thematic areas of economic relations, connectivity, trade and transit, power and water resources, education and culture and political matters.