India and Nepal signed six pacts to boost cooperation in areas such as hydro power generation, education and culture during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the neighbouring country on Monday.
Modi, paid an official visit to Lumbini, Nepal, on Monday, coinciding with the occasion of Buddha Purnima, at the invitation of the Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
“Both Prime Ministers held a bilateral meeting, during which they followed up on their discussions held on April 2 in New Delhi. They discussed specific initiatives and ideas to further strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including culture, economy, trade, connectivity, energy and development partnership,” as per a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Sister city relations
The two countries agreed in principle to establish sister city relations between Lumbini and Kushinagar, that are among the holiest sites of Buddhism and reflects the shared Buddhist heritage between the two countries, the statement added.
“Given the way things are shaping up in the world, the continuous strengthening of friendship and closeness between India and Nepal will help to serve humanity,”Modi tweeted.
Arun 4 project
One of the agreements signed on Monday was between SJVN Ltd and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for development and implementation of Arun 4 hydropower project. “PM Modi assured India’s support in the development of Nepal’s hydropower sector and in encouraging interested Indian developers to expeditiously explore new projects in this regard,” the release said.
The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral power sector cooperation in recent months, that covers development of generation projects, power transmission infrastructure and power trade. Deuba invited Indian companies to undertake the development of West Seti hydropower project in Nepal.
Two pacts were signed between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Kathmandu University—one a MoU for collaboration and the second, a Letter of Agreement for joint degree programme at Master’s level.
Two MoUs were also reached between the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and CNAS, Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies.
ICCR also signed a MoU with Lumbini Buddhist University on the establishment of Dr Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies. “Both Prime Ministers agreed to further expand educational and cultural exchanges to bring the people of the two countries closer,” the statement noted.