Indo-Nepal talks to focus on sly ISI operations

NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: Pakistan's clandestine anti-India activities from Nepal through its Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and other...

NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: Pakistan’s clandestine anti-India activities from Nepal through its Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and other issues of mutual concern will prominently figure during talks external affairs minister Jaswant Singh will have with Nepalese leaders during his four-day visit to Kathmandu from September eight.

ISI has been taking advantage of the porous Indo-Nepal border to push in subversives into Indian territory for fomenting trouble. New Delhi has conveyed to Nepal its serious concern over such activities.

Singh will have wide-ranging discussions with King Birendra, Prime Minister K P Bhattarai and foreign minister Ram Saran Mahat besides leaders of the opposition and other political parties, a senior external affairs ministry official told mediapersons today.

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The visit, he said, was primarily aimed at carrying forward bilateral cooperation in a purposeful manner and exploring new and diversified areas for enhanced cooperation particularly in the power sector.

Singh will be present at the inauguration of the long-awaited B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences at Dharan by the Nepalese Premier on September nine. He will also participate in the opening of maternal intensive care unit and neo-natal intensive care unit of the Paropkar maternity hospital in Kathmandu.

This would be the first high-level political contact between India and Nepal after the installation of the new Bhattarai government in May this year.

With the relative political stability in Nepal, New Delhi is looking forward to further consolidating existing ties and exploring prospects of going in for new joint venture projects.

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Integrated development of border areas as also India’s desire to chip in the poverty alleviation programmes of the Nepalese government would come up during the parleys the two sides will have, the official said.

The two sides are expected to take up the issue of speedy implementation of the detailed project report on the Pancheswor power project which has a potential to produce 6000 MW.

In the economic field, with India putting in place a liberalised regime with zero duties and no quantitative restrictions, the potential for giving a major fillip to trade and investment have gone up tremendously, the official said.

Nepal’s exports with India has more than doubled from Rs 1,078 crore in ’92-93 to Rs 2,270 crore in ’98-99 while its imports from India have also increased from Rs 2,450 crores to Rs 5,459 crore during this period.

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Singh would also discuss the upcoming SAARC summit in November this year in Kathmandu with the Nepalese leaders. Mahat was in New Delhi last month as part of his consultations with SAARC member states ahead of the summit.