Speaking to the mediapersons before his departure on Sunday, Secretary Menon said that the detailed strip maps of the border areas have already been prepared by experts of the two countries. "Ninety-eight per cent of the boundary has already been demarcated," he added.
He stressed the importance of taking the peace process to a logical conclusion and speeding-up the constitution drafting process. "India will support the Nepali people and the leaders in the peace process," he said. "We urge all parties to move ahead with consensus and cooperation."
Menon concluded his two-day visit to Nepal on Sunday. Earlier, he met with the home minister, defense minister and foreign minister and spoke on a gamut of issues confronting Indo-Nepal bilateral relations.
Soon after her visit with Secretary Menon, Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala said that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will be visiting India in August.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya said that besides many trade-related issues that came up during the bilateral talks, Nepal´s rising trade deficit with India figured most vital. "India has expressed commitment to work in this matter."
Besides, the two sides agreed to strengthen the border management -- an issue that has become sensitive after the Dang incident. "If problems in border areas are not sorted out at the local level, it would be taken up at the CDO level in Nepal and DM (district magistrate) level in India. If the issues assume graver course, it will be pushed to the central level," Acharya said.
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