'India's Goodwill Comes With No Strings Attached' says CDS Rawat; tells Nepal to be wary of China

New Delhi, Dec 17: "India's goodwill towards its neighbor comes with no strings attached", said CDS General Bipin Rawat and warned Nepal to be wary of China. Speaking at an event, CDS Rawat, said that Nepal is free to act independently in international affairs however, without naming China, he warned Kathmandu to be cautious when signing agreements with "other countries" in the region.

 

 

This statement from the CDS comes after three back-to-back high-level visits from New Delhi to Kathmandu in the last two months. Speaking on the India- Nepal ties, he termed it as "tall as the Himalayas and as deep as the Indian Ocean".

 

"...the canvas and spread of cooperation, friendship and people to people contact between India and Nepal are deep and extensive. But in the present age, Nepal is also opening to other nations including China based on its independent foreign policy," said General Rawat at the second annual dialogue with the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) during the virtual meeting.

 

Speaking on the theme of "Soft Power Dimension: India-Nepal Relations," CDS Rawat said, "India's goodwill comes with no strings attached. Nepal is free to act independently in international affairs but must be vigilant and learn from Sri Lanka and other nations which have also signed agreements with other countries in the region."

 

Further, he emphasized that there is need to boost the existing relationship further for the peace and prosperity for both countries who are already "inseparable in every way."

 

When he spoke about the economic relations between the two countries, CDS Rawat said, "India's economic relations with Nepal is quite unique although much more could be done. In 2019-2020 economic assistance has crossed Rs 12 billion for development in the various sector of the economy such as agriculture, water resources, energy, infrastructure and the list can go on and on. The total bilateral trade has reached to the extend USD 8.27 billion. India's exports for the same have been around USD 7.76 billion while the imports into India from Nepal has been USD 508 million," General Rawat.

 

CDS said that India accounts for over 30 per cent of the Foreign Direct Investment in Nepal and over 150 Indian ventures are also operating in Nepal, in various fields such as manufacturing, services, banking, insurance, education, telecom, power sector and tourism industry.

 

While concluding his speech, CDS Rawat reiterated the importance of the bilateral relationship, saying that "India and Nepal are unique and have been in existence for centuries and the bonds are so pure and so strong that aspiration, goodwill and spirituality between these two nations are as tall as the Himalayas and as deep as the Indian Ocean."

 

With India being concerned about China expanding its military and economic under the multi-billion infrastructure project the Belt and Road Initiative in its backyard, India is also strengthening its ties with not only with Nepal but also with Bhutan and Bangladesh under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India Nepal (BBIN) initiative.

Earlier this month, Nepal agreed to fast-track a rail connection from their capital Kathmandu to the Indian mainland. China is making a similar effort to link the Nepalese capital with Tibet.

 

In 2017, Maithripala Sirisena-led government handed over Hambantota port to a state-run Chinese firm in 2017 for a lease of 99 years. This transfer was part of a debt swap totaling USD 1.2 billion. Recently, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa rejected reports that Sri Lanka was lured into a “debt trap” by China after Beijing financed the strategic southern port of Hambantota.