Eager to work closely with India, says Nepal PM
Nepal’s newly elected Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Saturday said he is “eager to work closely” with India while thanking PM Narendra Modi for his greetings after the oath-taking ceremony.
Prime Minister Modi greeted Shah shortly after the swearing-in ceremony on Friday and said he was looking forward to working closely with his Nepalese counterpart to take forward India-Nepal ties.
Replying to Modi’s post, Nepal’s Prime Minister’s office posted on X, “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.”
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region.
Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India. Balen is the first democratically elected prime minister to be sworn in since the coalition Government led by ex- PM Oli was ousted in September last year, following the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban that escalated into violence. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Friday formed a 15-member Cabinet that includes five women ministers, marking 33 per cent female representation.
The newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy on Friday, administered by President Ram Chandra Paudel.
Nisha Mehta with the Health Ministry portfolio, Pratibha Rawal with the Federal Affairs General Administration and Cooperatives Ministry, Sobita Gautam with the Law and Justice portfolio, and Sita Badi with the Women and Children portfolio are the five women ministers inducted into the Balen cabinet.
