1 Nov :The two day Home Secretary level talks between India and Nepal concluded at New Delhi today. The 16-Member Nepalese delegation was led by Dr. Gobinda Prasad Kusum, Secretary, Ministry of Home, Government of Nepal while the Union Home Secretary, Shri Madhukar Gupta led the Indian team.During the meeting, both sides reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken at the previous meeting and held focused discussion of the issues relating to (i) Security (ii) Border Management, and (iii) Training, Provisioning and Capacity Building.
The discussions on security related issues centered around effective cooperation in combating terrorist activities including activities of Insurgent Groups, circulation of Fake Currency Notes, and institutionalizing the mechanism for real-time exchange of security related information between the two countries. The Indian side also raised the issue of security of Indian aircrafts. The Nepal side conveyed its solidarity with India in the fight against terrorist/insurgent groups and also placed on record its condemnation of the recent bomb blasts in Assam as also its condolences for those bereaved/affected.
With reference to Border Management, discussions in the meeting covered issues relating to review of the Nepalganj-Rupaidiha Pilot Project; effective cooperation for combating trans-border crimes including arms smuggling, trafficking of narcotics & psychotropic substances and human trafficking; institutionalizing the mechanism for regular meetings of the Border District Coordination Committees; and coordination and exchange of ground level/operational information between SSB and its counterpart police and security agencies in Nepal. It was also decided that a meeting of the Joint Working Group on various other Border related issues would be convened in early 2009.
India further offered its support and cooperation in matters relating to training and strengthening of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, other officials, etc., and in the setting up of a Nepal Police Academy. It also emphasized the need to expedite formalization of bi-lateral agreements initiated at official levels.
It was recalled that during the first visit of the newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to India in September 2008, it had, inter alia, been specifically highlighted and mandated that mutual cooperation in respect of security and border related issues should be expeditiously and substantively addressed. Coming in this background, the Talks, which were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere, will provide further impetus to the existing mutual cooperation between India and Nepal, both at the Government to Government level, and at the ground/operational levels between the agencies of both countries. Following elections and formation of the new Government in Nepal, this was the first HS level talks, the previous having been held in Kathmandu in September 2007.