KATHMANDU, July 23: Welcoming the election of Pranab Mukherjee as the new president of India, political leaders in Nepal have expressed confidence that the friendly relations subsisting between the two countries would strengthen further during his tenure.
Mukherjee had played an instrumental role in his capacity as the Indian finance minister in signing various bilateral agreements between the two countries.
NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat expressed pleasure over the election of Mukherjee as the new president of India. "As a person who understands Nepal closely, his election as the new president of India has come as a welcome news. I hope the relations between Nepal and India strengthen further during his tenure," said Mahat.
CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel said, “I believe that Mukherjee will bring about positive changes in the relations between the two friendly neighbors," said Pokharel.
Mukherjee, who began his political career with the Indian National Congress in 1969, became a cabinet minister in Indira Gandhi´s government in 1973, eventually making it to the post of finance minister from 1982 to 1984.Mukherjee then held various public positions, including deputy chairperson of the planning commission, minister for external affairs and defense minister.
Mukherjee also had been serving as the finance minister from 2009 in the Manmohan Singh-led cabinet. He last visited Nepal in his capacity as the finance minister on November 27, 2011 to sign the double taxation avoidance agreement between Nepal and India.
Former ambassador of Nepal to India Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, however, said election of Mukherjee as the president would not essentially make any difference to Nepal-India relations. “The Indian president does not contribute much to policy formulation," he said.
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