Goodwill And More
WHEN Indian Minister for External Affairs and
Defence Jaswant Singh arrives here today on a three-day goodwill visit, it affords an
opportunity for Nepal and India to discuss mutual issues across the board. That he is
making the visit despite his busy schedule signifies the importance India attaches to its
relationship with its northern neighbour and its desire to build a more direct contact
with the new government headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Billed a goodwill
visit, it should nonetheless help in developing an understanding on various differences
that naturally crop up, as they have in recent times, between two close neighbours that
Nepal and India are. By the very fact that it is a goodwill visit with no specific agenda,
the two countries should be able to take up the issues that they think are crucial to
discuss and arrive at a mutually satisfactory conclusion. On the discussion table should
be all of the more important issues on which some differences of opinion have emerged
between the two countries over recent times. The new government will certainly fully
utilise Mr. Singh’s visit in laying on the table Nepal’s position on those
issues. In his meetings with the Nepalese leaders, Mr. Singh is expected to likewise
articulate India’s position on those outstanding bilateral matters.
One of the issues that is likely to dominate
the discussions is the current Nepal-India Trade Treaty which is coming up for renewal.
India the other day said it wanted to revise the treaty before its renewal. Whatever
India’s concerns vis-à-vis the treaty, Nepal will do well to clearly put forward its
position too and that is, as trade experts and industrialists here agree, that both Nepal
and India have benefited from the treaty. Because a few Nepalese products are being
exported in larger quantities to India than before should not come in the way of further
strengthening the trade relations between the two countries. From the experience over the
last five years since the treaty was signed in 1996, most independent observers credit it
with creating a win-win situation in Nepal-India trade. The issue of value addition to
Nepalese products should be solved in a spirit of give-and-take. It is redundant to say
that such an attitude is essential in tackling any other issue as well, like the border
flood problem. As the point of departure for any meaningful resolution of the outstanding
issues, both sides must listen to each other with sympathy and then act accordingly.
Nothing should prevent Mr. Singh’s goodwill visit to Nepal from promoting not only
goodwill but also triggering off the process for even more positive, tangible results in
furthering the cause of Nepal-India relationship.
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