Nepal Foreign Affairs (KATHMANDU, 25 July 2017) – Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri on Tuesday said the 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty between Nepal-India has been a major historical benchmark of mutual cooperation and benefit.
Speaking in a book launching ceremony organized by Neeti Anusandhan Pratisthan, Ambassador Puri highlighted the common areas, where Nepal and India can forge the partnership on the basis of mutual benefit.
”The 1950 treaty put our relation in black and white. Free access of goods and national treatment to the citizenship of each other in both the countries have been mentioned in the treaty.” he said. According to him, then Indian leaders had foreseen the situation therefore the treaty like 1950 was signed by both the sides for the equal benefit of both the nations.
”Nepal and India both are two separate nation state. Both should respect each other. Let’s work together identifying common areas for the mutual benefit. Let’s create win-win situation.” he said.
Ambassador Puri pointed out that the geopolitics and the physical geography was an important factor and it cannot be changed. ”But the geopolitics of people to people relations can be changed”, he said.
Similarly, Ambassador mentioned the treaty of Trade and Transit that held in 1996 as an evidence to the friendly and equal relations inherited from the history. ”We did trade and transit treaty in 1996. That was need of the time” he said.
Ambassador Puri informed that he has been trying to forge partnership with Nepal in energy and aviation sector. ”Nepal has a big energy possibility, especially in the areas of hydropower. It is a big source of hydro electricity. Technology in any field can be a game changer. Exploitation of natural resources using technology can be game changing situation” he said.
Yet another example of win-win project for both Nepal and India is Koshi barrage, he said,”Look at the irrigation and flood control in Nepal and India. Koshi Barrage was built for the joint benefit. And we have been benefitting from this barrage”.