India to resume military cooperation with Nepal

PTI

India has agreed to resume military cooperation with Nepal, which was suspended following the 2005 takeover of power by former King Gyanendra, besides providing training to Nepalese security personnel as part of efforts to step up defence cooperation.

Nepal and India also agreed to share intelligence and to cooperate on constructing an airbase for the Nepalese army in the western part of the country, at the three-day joint-secretary level meeting that concluded here yesterday.

During the meeting, India agreed in principle, to resume non-lethal military supplies to Nepal as per her request, a defence ministry official said. India had suspended military cooperation after former King Gyanendra assumed absolute power and dissolved the multi-party government in February 2005.

During the Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group meeting held at the defence ministry here, the Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary at the ministry of external affairs, Satish Mehata, while Nepal's delegation was led by his Nepalese counterpart Arun Prasad Dhital.

India also agreed to provide training to Nepalese security personnel to upgrade their capabilities and to share intelligence for improving security, the official said.

The delegations discussed the matters of mutual interest and agreed on cooperation to construct a Nepal Army airbase in Surkhet in western Nepal, a foreign ministry statement said. The Indian delegation also paid a courtesy call on deputy prime minister and foreign minister Sujata Koirala, defence minister Vidya Bhandari and Nepal army chief Chhatra Man Gurung.

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