Indian envoy calls on Nepal President, discusses bilateral ties

Kathmandu: Amid strain in India-Nepal ties, Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae on Friday called on President Vidya Devi Bhandari and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

During Rae's courtesy call at the President House 'Sheetal Niwas', they discussed bilateral ties and stressed that Nepal and India shared multi-dimensional relationship for ages and it should be further strengthened, according to a statement from the President's Office.

There has been strain in India-Nepal relations in recent weeks in the wake of protests by Indian-origin Madhesis against the new Constitution, with Kathmandu blaming India for fuel shortages by not allowing fuel trucks to cross the border into Nepal.

India has been maintaining that the supply was obstructed due to protests on the Nepalese side and has appealed to Nepal to address all challenges in a spirit of dialogue and reconciliation.

It has also asked Nepal to consolidate the Constitution building and democratisation process by accommodating all sections of Nepal to enable broad-based ownership and participation.

Madhesis, Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal's Terai region, are protesting division of their ancestral homeland in the new Constitution and their agitation has closed the main trading point near Raxaul, halting supply of essential goods from India, causing an acute shortage of fuel in Nepal.