Narendra Modi meets KP Sharma Oli on sidelines of BIMSTEC summit, discusses ways to deepen ties

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli on the sidelines of the fourth BIMSTEC summit and they held a detailed review on all aspects of the bilateral relationship including ways to further deepen economic and trade ties.

This was the third meeting between the two leaders this year. They met earlier during Oli’s visit to India in April and the subsequent visit of Prime Minister Modi to Nepal in May.

“Our deliberations were wide-ranging, covering multiple aspects of India-Nepal relations,” Prime Minister Modi said after the meeting.

“We discussed ways to further deepen our economic, trade and cultural ties. Enhancing connectivity between our nations was discussed as well,” he added.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the two leaders held a detailed review on all aspects of the bilateral relationship.

The two leaders had a “warm meeting”, Kumar added.

Prime Minister Modi had a series of bilateral meetings, including discussions with his counterparts from Thailand and Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the 4th BIMSTEC summit.

He also held talks with presidents of Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 percent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of $2.8 trillion.