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Nepal, India positive toward revising peace and friendship Treaty: officials

Xinhua, April 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

he Nepalese and Indian sides were positive toward revising the Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty (1950) in line with the changed context during a meeting of the third Eminent Persons Group on Nepal-India Relations (EPG-NIR) that was concluded here in Kathmandu on Thursday, officials said.

Speaking to media, EPG Coordinator of the Nepalese side Dr Bhes Bahadur Thapa said that the two sides would make necessary recommendations in order to revise the treaty in line with the changed context to both the governments in near future.

"Both sides are positive toward revising the treaty. We still need more discussions to come to a final conclusion for the same," he said.

The Nepalese and Indian sides held discussion over the bilateral agreements and treaties signed in the past relating to water resources, trade and transit, according to Thapa.

The Indian side said that the meeting was ended on a positive note. "The two sides had extensive and cordial discussion on the contents of the Peace and Friendship Treaty for the past two days. I hope we will be able to come up with concrete ideas regarding what kind of recommendations we will make to our governments with regards to this treaty," EPG Coordinator of the Indian Side Bhagat Singh Koshyari told BBC Nepali Service on Thursday.

The EPG-NIR meeting decided to review and update existing treaties and agreements relating to security, society, economy, connectivity, trade, transit, border management and water resources, according to EPG members.

The fourth EPG-INR meeting will be held at the end of May in Dehradun, the Capital City of the Indian State of Uttarakhand.

The EPG-NIR, an expert panel between India and Nepal, formed in March 2016, is entrusted to come up with a joint comprehensive report containing recommendations for both governments on reviewing past treaties and agreements and improving bilateral relations in the changed context.

The purpose of the group, consisting of four members each from Nepal and India, is to recommend measures to both governments to expand and consolidate relations. Endit