India, Nepal sign eight pacts, Doklam is not discussed
Won't allow any activity against friendly neighbour: Nepal
New Delhi: India and its smaller Himalayan neighbour Nepal on Thursday signed eight pacts, including on cooperation in countering drug trafficking and post-earthquake reconstruction, even as foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said the Sino-Indian military stand-off in Doklam did not figure in talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba. With China going all out to woo Nepal through massive financial investment, India is also stepping up on completing infrastructure projects that will help the Himalayan country. Nepal also assured India that it would not allow any activity against its “friendly neighbour”. The Joint Statement released late on Thursday evening said, “The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction over the excellent state of India-Nepal relations that are deep, comprehensive and multi-faceted.” Mr Deuba will also visit Hyderabad on Friday and is expected to visit Tirupati after that. He will also travel to Bodh Gaya subsequently.
“Doklam (issue) did not come up (in discussions between the two leaders,” Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar told reporters, in response to a question. “The India-China issue did not figure,” he said, in an answer to another question. China has reportedly already briefed Nepal about the situation at Doklam.