India, Nepal Annual Border Talks In Kathmandu This Week

NEW DELHI: India and Nepal will hold their annual border talks in Kathmandu later this week over a host of issues related to curbing trans-frontier crimes and timely sharing of intelligence inputs. An Indian delegation led by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General Amrit Mohan Prasad will travel to the neighbouring country for bilateral discussions with their Nepalese counterparts -- Armed Police Force (APF) -- scheduled between November 16-18, official sources said.

This will be the eighth edition of this bilateral meeting. These annual talks have been taking place since 2012 and are alternatively held in India and Nepal. An APF delegation visited New Delhi for the talks in November 2023.

The meeting aims to serve as a vital platform for both forces to engage in discussions on various issues related to the unfenced India-Nepal border. The SSB is the designated force to guard this 1,751 km long front on India's eastern side running along the states of Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The agenda of the meeting is expected to revolve around measures that can be undertaken by both sides for effective collaboration to combat trans-border crimes and facilitate a prompt exchange of critical information between the forces, officials told PTI.

They said the Indian delegation will have members from the ministries of external affairs and home, and a joint record of discussions is expected to be signed by the two sides on November 18 at Kathmandu at the end of the talks. The APF delegation will be led by its Inspector General (IG) Raju Aryal.

The India-Nepal border is prone to illegal crossovers by anti-national elements including third country nationals as it is unfenced and open. Security and intelligence agencies have nabbed terrorists, fraudsters and criminals from this border a number of times.

The SSB chief is also expected to call on Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and other senior government officials.