Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla calls on Nepal PM KP Oli, hands over 2000 vials of Remdesivir

During the visit, FS called on Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli. He also handed over 2000 vials of Remdesivir as part of New Delhi's assistance to Nepal to deal with the COVID crisis.

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla has assured Kathmandu of the Covid-19 vaccine even as both sides agreed to "advance cooperation" in several sectors. Foreign Secretary is currently on a two-day Nepal visit – which is the third high-ranking visit by an Indian official to Nepal after RAW chief and Indian Army chief's visit to the Himalayan country.

After his meeting with Nepal's Foreign Secretary Bharat Paudyal, Shringla said, "We had a very productive and useful exchange, we went through a very large number of issues of bilateral cooperation. It shows the multifaceted and comprehensive nature of our cooperation".

During the visit, Shringla called on Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli. He also handed over 2000 vials of Remdesivir as part of New Delhi's assistance to Nepal to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

He assured that Nepal will be a priority when it comes to the vaccine by saying, "we will make this vaccine accessible and affordable and it goes without saying, that first priority will be for our closest neighbors like Nepal..will put our health ministers and regulators in touch with each other to ensure that when this vaccine enters the market when this vaccine is available, Nepal will have the fullest benefit of the vaccine"

The visit comes even as ties had deteriorated between the two countries after the Nepal government led by PM KP Sharma Oli issued a new political map of the country. The new map showed the Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as Nepali territories, irking New Delhi.

Highlighting the "civilizational ties", FS said, "bilateral relations are age-old and historic....and even during the worst period of the Covid pandemic, the strict lockdown, we ensured trade, essential supplies and commodities continue to flow between our two countries"

It is interesting to know that the FS, after reaching Kathmandu on Thursday morning, spoke to the media in Nepali - a gesture that has not gone unnoticed and was seen positively.