Dahal is on his way to India today with a lengthy wish list.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will depart for India on Wednesday afternoon on a four-day official visit at the request of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Aside from his regular schedule of meetings and activities, Dahal now has to deal with a new issue: a painting depicting ancient India in the recently built Indian parliament building.
KP Sharma, the CPN-UML's leader, asked Prime Minister Dahal on Tuesday to discuss the matter of the mural depicting several Nepali areas, notably Kapilvastu and Lumbini, inside India with Indian officials.
"That is not fair," Oli said at his party's headquarters on Tuesday, adding that "if a country like India, which sees itself as an ancient and strong country and a model of democracy, puts Nepali territories on its map and hangs the map in Parliament, it cannot be called fair."
"The prime minister is leaving tomorrow for India." He should request that the mural be removed. You [prime minister] must speak with the Indian administration to fix that error. "There's no point in going to India if you can't do that," Oli stated.
Prime Minister Dahal also informed his party's lawmakers that he will speak with Indian officials regarding the mural. The pledge came after certain Maoist Centre legislators objected to the Indian mural during a parliamentary party gathering to discuss the India visit.
"The prime minister told us that he would take up the matter with Indian officials," a Maoist Centre legislator stated.
A team led by foreign ministry joint secretary Ram Prasad Subedi has arrived in New Delhi ahead of the prime minister's visit to India to discuss and finalize several unresolved and controversial bilateral matters.
Subedi's team will debate difficult matters such as new Nepalese aviation routes through Indian sky, the development of an integrated checkpoint in Chandani-Dodhara, and other issues.
According to a foreign ministry official, Subedi's team would discuss difficult matters such as new aviation routes for Nepal through Indian skies, the construction of an integrated check post in Chandani-Dodhara, and concerns connected to trade, transit, and some projects to be sponsored by India.
Prior to his trip to India, Prime Minister Dahal pledged his party's lawmakers that he would not sign any contentious agreements and would do everything possible to make the trip productive.
On energy, the prime minister stated that he will work to ensure a stable market in India for Nepali electricity.
"Because there was no large market for electricity, we couldn't produce more power, which discouraged big investors from coming to Nepal." So, during the visit, we will make an effort to ensure a stable market for Nepal electricity in india,"said Dahal.
"If we can open an electricity trade route with Bangladesh, history will remember us." There has been no work on the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project for the past 26 years. It would be preferable if it proceeded forward. Other issues on the visit agenda include finalizing trade and transit agreements and resolving the border conflict. "My goal is to do good," Dahal stated.
Foreign Minister NP Saud also gave a press conference on Tuesday, stating that Dahal's visit itinerary was jam-packed with subjects and events concerning trade, commerce, air entrance route, transportation, and infrastructure, among other things.
"We have long-standing relations with India, and both countries practice pluralism, democracy, and a multiparty system." We also have excellent relation between our peoples and governments."said saud.
The prime minister will travel to New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon and will attend a reception hosted by the Nepali Embassy in honor of his group later that evening.
"We will investigate the possibility of additional Indian investment in Nepal's hydropower sector in order to gain access to the Indian energy market." "We need to build more transmission lines for this," stated the foreign minister, adding, "and we will also seek India's permission for energy trade with Bangladesh."
"We are primarily looking for security in our energy market, so we want a long-term power deal with India." "Investors are ready to pour billions of rupees into the market, but they need a stable market," Saud remarked.
According to the program, Dahal will meet Modi at 11:00 a.m. in Hyderabad House, followed by delegation-level talks, a luncheon, and joint press briefings. Before the delegation-level talks, several Indian ministers and officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kawatra, will meet with the prime minister.
Signing an improved and unified transit treaty is also on the prime minister's agenda. Nepal and India have previously exchanged various notes on the transit treaty via letters of exchange, but they have yet to be combined.
"Because we have an open border with India and trade with third countries and China through Indian ports and territory, we need to include some new provisions in the transit treaty." We have a large trade deficit with India, and several non-reciprocal bilateral trade agreements need to be updated and revised. We need to eliminate the anti-dumping law so that Nepali agricultural products, especially jute, can enter Indian markets. "These issues will be resolved during the visit," Saud stated.
The prime minister will be accompanied to India by five ministers, secretaries, government officials, media representatives, and business leaders. According to officials, the group has surpassed the 100-member mark.
Aside from attempting to rectify the massive trade imbalance between Nepal and India, Nepal wants to update the bilateral trade teaty, which is nearing its expiry.
"Because India accounts for one-third of our business, the private sector will pursue all business opportunities." We're also thinking about using Indian aviation routes through Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, and Mahendra Nagar. "We proposed these four air entry points to India," Saud stated.
During his visit to New Delhi, Prime Minister Dahal will address the Indian business community and meet with the Indian President and Vice President, although it is unclear whether he would meet with leaders of the Indian National Congress, the main opposition party. Following his engagements in New Delhi, the prime minister will go to Ujjain and Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
The two prime ministers will remotely open the railway yard in Biratnagar, as well as the extended Jaynagar-Janakpur railway. According to Minister Saud, some transmission lines will also be developed with Indian soft loans.
"Aside from these, we will discuss high-level exchange visits, boundary disputes, the report of the Eminent Persons' Group, use of the Indian digital payment system in Nepal, broadcast of Nepal Television in India, import of chemical fertilisers, embankment issues, inundation, and access for Nepali broadband to the Indian submarine cables for cheaper internet use."
“We have long-pending issues like boundary issues. We have several bilateral mechanisms and working groups too. They need to be activated so that we can plan which issue can be resolved immediately and which in the long-term. So we will discuss ways to revive and activate these mechanisms,” said Saud.
After completing his engagements in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, the prime minister will return home on June 3. This will be Dahal's fourth India visit as Nepal’s prime minister.
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