India, Nepal talks on New Delhi's development projects on August 17

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New Delhi: India and Nepal will sit on Monday (August 17, 2020) to talk on New Delhi's development projects in the country. 

Talks will start at 10 AM local time in Kathmandu and will reportedly conclude by 12 noon. 

This will be the first formal talks between the two sides amidst strained ties. 

Border row will not be discussed in the meet, since the talks do not have the mandate for it. 

The "scheduled oversight mechanism" as the talks are referred will see India being represented by its envoy in Kathmandu Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepal by Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi.

Indian government sources said the meet is "part of regular interaction between India and Nepal" and the mechanism was set up in 2016 to "review ongoing bilateral economic and development projects on a periodic basis". 

Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi and Nepal PM Oli spoke to each other, first time in months as ties deteriorated after new Nepal Map. 

The Nepal map had shown Indian territories as Nepali territories that irked its relations with New Delhi.

The talks, at the request of Nepali PM, focused on COVID-19 crisis. 

Prime Minister offered India’s continued support to Nepal in this regard, the Indian government's readout on the talks said. 

Indian PM recalled the civilizational and cultural links that India and Nepal share, something New Delhi has been emphasising even as the government to government talks went downhill. 

Nepal PM also conveyed his congratulations for India’s recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.