Border should be a bridge not a barrier, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Kathmandu:Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Nepal should choose its own course in its endeavour to build a stable and prosperous democratic republic.

“Nepal is a truly sovereign nation. We have always believed that it is not our job to interfere in what you do but to support you in the path you decide to take,” he said.

The Prime Minister added, “The border should be a bridge, not a barrier, between the two neighbours.”

He announced that India would provide a concessional line of credit of 10,000 crore Nepalese rupees ($1 billion) for various development purposes. “This amount is separate from the previous assistance that India has already provided to Nepal,” He said.

Mr Modi, who arrived here on a twoday visit to Nepal to a rousing reception, was addressing the Nepalese Constituent Assembly. It is only the second time that a foreign leader has addressed the Nepal parliament, with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl being the first to have that honour in 1990

.

Ignoring protocol, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala personally received Mr Modi at Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday morning.

Mr Modi was given a thunderous applause as he began his 45 minute speech telecast live, with a few sentences in Nepali, hours after his talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala, during which the two sides signed three agreements.