KATHMANDU: Nepal’s newly elected Prime Minister Balendra Shah has conveyed his strong desire to work closely with India, extending gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulatory message following Shah’s oath-taking ceremony.
Prime Minister Modi had extended greetings to Shah shortly after the swearing-in ceremony on Friday, expressing anticipation for a collaborative approach to further enhance India-Nepal relations.
In response, Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter: “Thank you, PM @narendramodi for your kind words and warm wishes. I am eager to work closely with you to advance the multifaceted relations between our two countries for the common prosperity of our people.”
The Chenab Times has learned that Nepal holds significant strategic importance for India within the regional context.
Nepal’s economic and logistical dependence on India is substantial, particularly for the transportation of goods and services. As a landlocked nation, Nepal’s access to maritime trade routes is facilitated through India. A predominant proportion of Nepal’s imports are sourced from and transited via India.
Balendra Shah’s ascension to the prime ministership marks a significant development, being the first democratically elected prime minister to be sworn in since the coalition government led by former prime minister Oli was ousted in September of the previous year. This political shift followed youth-led Gen Z protests that initially targeted corruption and nepotism, and escalated amidst a social media ban, leading to instances of violence.
The Chenab Times News Desk
