Fruitful Interaction

PRIME Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who also is the Foreign Minister, and Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha while discussing the current status of Nepal-India relations the other day expressed satisfaction over the close bonds of friendship and understanding existing between Nepal and India. On the occasion, they also stressed the need to further consolidate and expand the areas of mutual cooperation. Indian Foreign Minister Sinha, in the course of the discussion, assured continued cooperation to Nepal in its fight against terrorism. No doubt, Nepal and India have been close friends since time immemorial. Nepal-India ties are not limited at the government level but also at the people-to-people level. It is so because of the cultural and religious similarities that exist between Nepal and India. It is a matter of fact that both the countries lie in South Asia, a most populous region in the world. This is the reason why the two countries have been able to maintain cordial ties since centuries. With the host of similarities, both the countries have many problems of similar nature. This makes it inevitable that the same strategies have to be followed in overcoming them. As a case in point, terrorism both internal and cross-border, poverty, illiteracy and natural calamities are the problems to be overcome by both the countries. As such, if the two countries, as per the commitment made by the two leaders, expand the areas of economic and development cooperation, it will be in the interest of both the parties towards the materialisation of greater prosperity in the region as a whole. Nepal, as it is, is passing through one of its difficult phases and cooperation from all friendly countries is more than necessary. In this respect, India has been kind enough to extend such cooperation.
The South Asian Association for regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the umbrella organisation of which both Nepal and India are active members. The Association, formed on the bulwark of regional cooperation, has moved ahead albeit a little slowly. If recent activities are any indication, SAARC is definitely taking concrete steps to enhance regional cooperation. The recently concluded meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers decided among others to accelerate regional economic cooperation, implementing poverty alleviation programmes and suppressing terrorism. Against this backdrop, the close cooperation among the SAARC countries including that of Nepal and India will be very fruitful in tackling the common problems of the people.