India, Nepal to discuss security concerns, military supplies

Kathmandu: India and Nepal will discuss bilateral security concerns and defence cooperation, including the supply of military equipment to Nepalese army, during a two-day meeting of top officials beginning here on Sunday. A 13-member delegation from India led by Joint Secretary North at the Ministry of External Affairs Abhay Thakur is arriving in Kathmandu tomorrow to attend the 11th India-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Group Meeting. The meeting will discuss matters relating to security concerns and future cooperation between the two neighbours, according to Nepal Army sources. The two sides will focus on matters relating to military supplies to Nepal by India, military training and information exchange, they said. Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal, Amrit Bahadur Rai will head a 15-member Nepalese delegation. The two sides will also review the progress made during the past meetings, a press statement by the Nepalese army here said. At the group`s meeting last year, the Nepal Army had requested India for an immediate supply of arms valued at NR 1.76 billion, ekantipur had reported. India resumed military supplies, constituting non-lethal support, to Nepal last year after the successful integration of former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. Military supplies were restricted after former Nepal king Gyanendra Shah took over executive powers and restricted democratic and civil liberties in 2005. India will provide some of the weapons in grant, while some will be on loan after a down payment of 60 per cent, the report said.

The Indian delegation will return to Delhi on July 8. The Nepal-India bilateral security meetings are held every year in Kathmandu and New Delhi alternatively.