Nepal and India on Tuesday agreed to strengthen bilateral security cooperation, improve border management and combat transnational crime as Home Minister Sudan Gurung met his Indian counterpart Amit Shah on the sidelines of the inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
The talks also covered disaster preparedness and emergency response, according to a statement issued after the meeting.
Gurung thanked India for its timely assistance to Nepal following recent floods and landslides, and stressed the need for practical cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries.
He said bilateral engagement should be guided by sovereign equality, mutual respect and trust, the statement said.
The meeting comes as the two neighbours seek to strengthen security coordination along their 1,850-kilometre open border. Citizens of both countries can cross without passports or visas under longstanding bilateral arrangements.
While the open border underpins close social and economic ties, it also presents challenges in tackling cross-border crime, human trafficking, smuggling and the movement of criminal networks.
Security cooperation has long been an important component of Nepal-India relations, with bilateral mechanisms providing platforms for coordination on border management, law enforcement and other security concerns.
The two countries also face recurring natural disasters, particularly floods and landslides, that threaten border communities, disrupt transport links and damage infrastructure. Recent disasters in Nepal have underscored the importance of timely information-sharing, coordinated emergency response and cross-border humanitarian assistance.
The meeting was held during the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting, which brought together representatives of member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation to address regional security challenges.
BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The regional grouping has identified security cooperation, including counterterrorism and efforts to combat transnational crime, as a key area of collaboration.
For Nepal, coordination with India is particularly important because of the open border, extensive economic and social ties, and shared security and disaster-related challenges.