Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India and Nepal’s ever-strengthening friendship will benefit the entire humanity in the emerging global situation.
During his visit to the Himalayan state, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on Monday, PM Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba held bilateral talks in Lumbini, after laying foundation stone of the Indian International Center for Buddhist Center and Heritage.
On this occasion, PM Modi said that Indian and Nepal relations are unshakeable like the Himalayas. Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi called it an “opportunity to strengthen ongoing cooperation and develop new areas in our multifaceted partnership.”
Earlier, PM Modi had offered prayers at the Maya Devi temple. Sharing images from the visit, Modi tweeted, “I feel blessed to have prayed at the Maya Devi Temple on Buddha Purnima.” The PM was received by his Nepalese counterpart Monday morning as he arrived in Lumbini.
The construction of the Buddhist Centre comes decades after most foreign nations, including the US, China, Canada, France, Germany and Thailand, among others, built their centres in Lumbini as an instrument of promoting Buddhist philosophy. It is expected to cost Rs. 1 billion and take three years to complete.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the 490 MW Arun-4 hydroelectric project in Nepal has been signed in Lumbini, Nepal in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba, the company said in a statement Monday.
SJVN Chairman and Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma said it will be the third mega project to be constructed by the company in Nepal. The construction of 900 MW Arun-3 project is in progress and the 669 MW Lower Arun project is at the survey and investigation stage.
With the MoU, signed by Sharma and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising, SJVN has three projects with a total capacity of 2,059 MW in Nepal. According to Sharma, SJVN is targeting to have 5,000 MW projects in Nepal by 2030.
