Experts suggest PM to implement past agreements

(Bhisma Raj Ojha/ CB Adhikari) 

Kathmandu - Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's upcoming State Visit to India should focus on ensuring the implementation of the past agreements and further consolidating bilateral relations and assistance, experts on foreign affairs said. 

The Prime Minister, at the friendly invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is embarking on a five-day state visit to the southern neighbour beginning from April 23. 

Besides, foreign experts suggested the Prime Minister for an utilisation of his visit as an opportunity to indentify new sectors for mutual assistance and cooperation. 

Coordinator of Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) Dr Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, terming the upcoming Prime Minister's visit a goodwill one, said it would be better to focus on the visit on enforcing agreements reached between two close neighbours. 

He expressed his hope that the visit would create an atmosphere to build further mutual trust so as to meet aspirations seen among the Nepali people from India, following the Indian Prime Minister Modi's Nepal visit. 

Serious talks on the ways of permanently addressing the problems of inundations and floods frequent along the Nepal-India border were expected from the visit, he said, adding that the visit would become successful if an atmosphere was build to smoothly enforce the bilateral agreements reached so far between two countries. 

Earlier, foreign affairs experts had suggested PM Deuba for seeking solutions of current burning bilateral issues by keeping the peoples' aspirations and national interests in centre. 

Similarly, former ambassador Dr Jayaraj Acharya opined for doing adequate homework for implementing the previous treaties and agreements reached between two countries. He further stressed on diplomatic and administrative preparations before entering in political agendas in such official visit. 

He further suggested sorting out the inundations and floods problems seen in plain Tarai and border areas with the consent of both countries implementing effective measures. 

Similarly, the Council of Ministers has also prepared the talks schedule including implementing previous agreements on constructing Laxmanpur barrage and conducting a study on damages caused by the Koshi barrage. 

PM's foreign affairs advisor Dr Dinesh Bhattarai shared that the visit will be centred on strengthening bilateral ties, developing the mutual understanding and implementing the past agreements. He further added the visit would be centred on developmental issues as well.