Control of anti-India activities stressed at home secretaries' meet
SUNDAR KHANAL
KATHMANDU, Nov 6: India pressed Nepal to control anti-India activities on Nepali soil and pledged necessary support to bolster the latter in this connection, during the home-secretary level meeting held here Friday.
According to government officials at the meeting, India appeared to buttress regular bilateral issues like cross-border crime and the Extradition Treaty to uphold focus on its growing worries over anti-India activities.
Most importantly, the Indian delegation including Union Home Secretary GK Pillai, Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood and a joint-secretary at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs met Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in a separate fixture from the scheduled meeting and without any other Nepali official present.
A senior government official told myrepublica.com that the Indian side emphasized prompt action on the Extradition Treaty as a major tool to curb anti-India activities while Nepali officials referred the matter to the ministerial level.
Both sides discussed at length measures against cross-border criminal activities, the proclaimed main agenda of the meeting, including issues like infiltration of criminals, arms supply to criminal gangs and fake currency.
A basic understanding was developed about a pilot project in Banke and the bordering Indian district of Baharaich to regulate the open border, sources said. The idea is said to be based on keeping data on people on both sides and regulating their flow, possibly by means of identity cards.
India tabled a new issue of controlling crime like trafficking in red sandalwood through Nepal. Officials said the Indian side pushed the need to install its own security mechanism at Tribhuvan International Airport.
The meeting held at Soaltee Hotel underlined the need to strengthen peace, stability and security in both countries through mutual cooperation. Home Secretary Govinda Kusum led the talks on the Nepali side.
Three separate group discussions were also held, with Joint-Secretary Jaya Mukunda Khanal dealing with security issues, Assistant Inspector General of Armed Police Force (APF) Koshraj Wanta with border issues and Nepal Police AIG Arjun Jung Shahi with capacity-building. The Nepali team stressed the need for support from India in capacity-building to tackle bilateral security challenges.
The meeting will conclude with a MOU Saturday between the two home secretaries.
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Control Of Anti-India Activities Stressed At Home Secretaries' Meet
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