5th EPG meeting begins from today

KATHMANDU, Oct 7: The fifth meeting of the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group (EPG) began in Kathmandu Saturday.

At the meeting, Nepal will table its opinion along with comments on the proposal relating to the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship that was tabled in the previous EPG meeting by Indian EPG member Jayant Prasad, said an EPG member.

Likewise, EPG member from Nepali side Surya Prasad Upadhyay will present a working paper on Nepal-India cooperation and utility on water resources, the member added.

Other issues the meeting will dwell on include Nepal-India border security management, the subject to issue identity cards for citizens of both the countries to enter the border by road, and keeping record of those entering Nepal from India, and vice versa by road.

The Indian EPG members present in the meeting are Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Professor Mahendra P Lama and BC Upreti. However, former Indian envoy to Nepal Jayant Prasad, who is also the member, is absent in the meeting.

The EPG was formed aimed at suggesting the governments to strengthen the bilateral ties and to review the past treaties and agreements including the 1950 treaty between Nepal and India after detail study in the respective fields.

The Nepali EPG members include coordinator Dr Bheikh Bahadur Thapa, former secretary and chief of CIAA Surya Nath Upadhyay, former Minister Nilambar Acharya and lawmaker Dr Rajan Bhattarai. RSS