Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar embarks on crucial Nepal visit

KATHMANDU: Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has landed in Nepal, greeted by his Nepalese counterpart NP Saud at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Dr. Jaishankar’s visit is marked by significant diplomatic discussions, with an anticipated focus on a crucial agreement related to electricity trade between Nepal and India.

The Indian Foreign Minister, arriving in Kathmandu on an Indian Air Force plane, is set to engage in discussions to finalize an agreement that has been in the pipeline since the visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to India in June of the previous year.

During that visit, an understanding was reached for a long-term electricity trade agreement, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging to import 10,000 megawatts of electricity from Nepal over the next decade.

After seven months of negotiations, the awaited contract is poised to be formally signed during Dr. Jaishankar’s visit. The signing ceremony will involve Energy Secretary of Nepal, Gopal Sigdel, and India’s Energy Secretary, Pankaj Aggarwal. The agreement is expected to solidify the commitment made by the two nations for extensive electricity trade.

In addition to the agreement signing, the visit will witness the joint inauguration of three cross-border transmission lines—Raxaul-Parwanipur, Kushah-Kataiya, and New Nautuna-Manaiyan, all with a capacity of 132 KV.

These transmission lines are crucial for the import and export of power between Nepal and India, fostering greater energy cooperation between the neighboring nations.