Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday jointly inaugurated cross-border passenger train services between the two countries. The train services between Jainagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal were inaugurated after a delegates-level meeting between the two leaders. PM Modi and Sher Bahadur Deuba also launched India’s RuPay payment card in Nepal apart from signing several Memorandums of Understanding. The two sides also inked four pacts to expand cooperation in areas of railways and energy while vowing to further broad-base cooperation in a range of areas. In his media statement, PM Modi said the friendly ties between India and Nepal are unique and such a relationship is not seen anywhere else in the world. He said India has been and will continue to remain a firm companion in Nepal’s journey for peace, prosperity and development. “Deuba ji is an old friend of India. As the PM, this is his fifth visit to India. He has played an important role in developing India-Nepal relations. The friendship between India and Nepal, relation between our people – such an example can’t be seen anywhere else in the world”, PM Modi said after meeting Debua. Modi said the joint vision statement between the two sides on power cooperation will prove to be a blueprint for future cooperation in the sector. It was agreed on the greater participation of Indian companies in Nepal’s hydropower development plans, he said.
“I admire the progress that India is making under the visionary leadership of PM Modi. We’ve seen India’s effective management battling COVID19 and received first vaccine aid from India as well as medicines, medical equipment &logistics to combat COVID”, he added.
The announcements came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met and held delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi today. This is Prime Minister Deuba’s first bilateral visit abroad since assuming office for the fifth time in July last year. Deuba, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, is visiting India at the invitation of PM Modi.