New Delhi/Kathmandu: In what can be seen as a good start for Indian diplomacy, India and Nepal on Thursday signed a long-term power agreement that will facilitate the export of 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal to India in the next 10 years, in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Nepalese Minister for Energy Shakti Bahadur.
S Jaishankar co-chaired a comprehensive and productive meeting of the 7th India-Nepal Joint Commission with his Nepalese counterpart Narayan Prasad Saud.
It is understood that the discussion between the two ministers focused on the overall bilateral ties, trade and economic relations, land, rail and air connectivity projects, cooperation in defence and security, agriculture, energy, power, water resources, disaster management, tourism, civil aviation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and development partnership.
Besides the long-term power agreement, the two sides signed an agreement on the implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects, cooperation in Renewable Energy Development and handover of the 5th tranche of the post-Jajarkot earthquake relief supply. India and Nepal jointly inaugurated three cross-border transmission lines.
The two countries had reached an understanding on the electricity export during Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India from May 31 to June 3 2023. Both sides had signed several major pacts including one on increasing New Delhi's import of power from the neighbouring country to 10,000 MW in the next 10 years from the current 450 MW.
India has helped Nepal develop multiple hydropower projects on these high-volume rivers and more projects are in the pipeline; and the power export agreement comes as the next step in the bilateral ties. Later on Thursday, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet top political leaders, including two former Prime Ministers, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and KP Sharma Oli.
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