KATHMANDU: Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, returned to Nepal today after completing a four-day official visit to India. During the visit, he attended the 29th Partnership Summit held in New Delhi on December 3-4.
On the sidelines of the summit, Minister Bhandari held meetings with several prominent Indian leaders, including Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale, In-Charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Foreign Department; India's Minister for External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar; Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal; Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri; Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi; and office bearers of the Indian Confederation of Industries, as reported by his Secretariat.
The discussions during the meetings focused on strengthening Nepal-India relations, addressing issues faced by Nepali citizens along the Nepal-India border, and facilitating the supply of essential goods from India to Nepal. Minister Bhandari also stressed the need to boost Nepal's exports to India.
Additionally, they discussed the construction of the Sligudhi-Jhapa and Amlekhgunj-Chitwan petroleum pipelines, promoting Indian investment in Nepal, and the operation of the Belauri transit point in Kanchanpur.