India, Nepal to hold review mechanism dialogue on ongoing projects today

India and Nepal are expected to hold a review mechanism dialogue via video conferencing on Monday to take stock of the progress of ongoing projects in Nepal.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra will hold talks with Nepal's Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi.

The meeting holds significance as it will be the first high-level meeting since ties between the two countries strained following the issuance of a new map by the Nepal government incorporating parts of Indian territory.

New Delhi has been assisting Kathmandu in the various developmental projects under India-Nepal bilateral initiation to support and strengthen grass-root infrastructure development projects across Nepal.

Projects under this initiative benefit the communities in the project area, particularly in the areas of education, health, connectivity, drinking water and sanitation, vocational training, medical campus, etc. Since 2003, India has completed 422 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), covering 77 districts of Nepal with a financial grant of over 798.7 crore Nepali rupees, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

On the occasion of India's 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli held a telephonic conversation.

"The Prime Minister of Nepal greeted the government and people of India on the occasion of its 74th Independence Day, and also conveyed congratulations for India's recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council," read a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to a statement issued by Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oli appreciated Prime Minister Modi's "renewed priority to the neighbourhood as spelt out in today's Independence Day address".

"The Prime Minister of Nepal looked forward to meaningful bilateral cooperation," the statement said.

Tensions between India and Nepal related to boundary came to the fore in May after the Oli government issued the new map of Nepal, incorporating Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.

Responding to the same, New Delhi said that the updated map is "not based on historical facts and evidence" and termed the claims by Kathmandu as artificial enlargement.

(ANI)

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