CDS Bipin Rawat said the ties between India and Nepal are “as high as the Himalayas and as deep as the Indian Ocean.”
New Delhi:
Calling India-Nepal ties “as high as the Himalayas and as deep as the Indian Ocean,” Defense Chief of Staff General Bipin Rawat said Thursday that India’s goodwill towards its neighbor comes “without conditions, “but without naming China, CDS Rawat warned Kathmandu to be cautious when signing agreements with” other countries “in the region.
“… the canvas and spread of cooperation, friendship and people-to-people contact between India and Nepal are deep and extensive. But in the current era, Nepal is also opening up to other nations, including China, based on its independent foreign policy, “he said. General Rawat in the second annual dialogue with the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) during the virtual meeting.
Speaking on the subject of “Soft Power Dimension: India-Nepal Relations”, CDS Rawat said, “India’s goodwill comes without strings attached. Nepal is free to act independently in international affairs, but it must be vigilant and learn from Sri Lanka and other nations, which have also signed agreements with other countries in the region. “
General Bipin Rawat said that it is necessary to further strengthen the existing relationship for peace and prosperity of both countries, which are already “inseparable in every way.
Speaking on the economic relations between the two countries, CDS Rawat said: “India’s economic relations with Nepal are quite unique, although much more could be done. In 2019-2020, economic assistance has exceeded 12 billion rupees for development in various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, water resources, energy, infrastructure and the list can go on and on. “
“The total bilateral trade has reached USD 8.27 billion. India’s exports for it have been around USD 7.76 billion, while imports to India from Nepal have been USD 508 million,” said General Rawat.
The Chief of Defense Staff said that India accounts for more than 30 percent of Foreign Direct Investment in Nepal and more than 150 Indian companies also operate in Nepal, in various fields.
“The trade balance is very favorable to India considering the many essential items that must be imported into Nepal from India. When it comes to investment, India accounts for more than 30% of foreign direct investment in Nepal and more than 150 Indian companies are successfully operating in Nepal in various fields such as manufacturing, services, banking, insurance, education, telecommunications, the energy sector and the tourism industry, ”he said.
Concluding his speech, CDS Rawat reiterated the importance of the bilateral relationship, saying that “India and Nepal are unique and have existed for centuries and the ties are so pure and so strong that aspiration, goodwill and spirituality between these two nations are as high as the Himalayas and as deep as the Indian Ocean. “
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