FM Gyawali visiting New Delhi on Jan 14 to take part in JC meeting, PM Oli confirms

Published On: January 8, 2021 05:44 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 8: Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali is visiting India on January 14 to take part in the Joint Commission meeting between the two countries, confirmed Prime Minister K P Oli.

Prime Minister Oli informed about the date of the visit of Foreign Minister Gyawali to New Delhi while addressing a mass rally organized in Dhangadhi on Friday. Although both the countries have long been making preparations to organize the JC meeting in New Delhi, both Nepal and India are yet to officially announce the date of the meeting.

The JC is the highest mechanism between the two countries to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations between Nepal and India. The meeting is taking place at a time when Nepal has witnessed a fluid political situation after the decision of Prime Minister Oli dissolved the lower house of the federal parliament on December 20.

While making various promises to bring about development in the Far-West Provinces, Prime Minister Oli announced that the condition of Gauriphanta's entry point would be improved after holding discussions with the Indian side. "What is the date today? Our foreign minister is visiting India on January 14. This issue will be discussed during the visit," said Prime Minister Oli, while addressing the mass gathering of party cadres close to him in Dhangadhi on Friday.

This is the first time Foreign Minister Gyawali is visiting India after Kathmandu introduced a new political map that includes Kalapani, Lipu Lekh, and Limpiyadhura currently administered by the Indian side. Nepal has long been maintaining that these territories belong to Nepal on the basis of historic evidence and the Sugauli Treaty reached between Nepal and then British East India Company.

Analysts in Nepal say the visit of Foreign Minister Gyawali marks the resumption of the official exchanges of visits from Kathmandu to New Delhi that were put to a halt after Nepal introduced the new political map in May 2020. Earlier, Indian Research and Analysis Wing Chief Samant Goel, Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukunda Naravane, and Indian Foreign Secretary Harsha Vardhan Shringla had visited Kathmandu.