KATHMANDU: Nepal and India concluded their 10th border coordination meeting in Kathmandu, led by Armed Police Force Inspector General Raju Aryal and Sashastra Seema Bal Director General Amrit Mohan Prasad. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to curbing cross-border crimes and illegal activities through enhanced strategic and operational cooperation.
The meeting included senior officials from the Armed Police Force of Nepal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Survey Department, Nepal Police, and the National Investigation Department. The Indian delegation comprised representatives from the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, and officials from India’s ministries of foreign and home affairs.
Both parties agreed to prioritize the management of the no-man’s-land area by removing unauthorized structures and illegal farming. They also committed to improving coordination at the field level to maintain and repair border pillars in accordance with the decisions made by the Boundary Working Group and the Survey Officials Committee. Officials pledged to continue sharing real-time information to combat human trafficking, counterfeit currency, drug smuggling, and unauthorized movement of third-country nationals.
To transition toward smart border management, the delegations discussed deploying modern technology, including CCTV surveillance, luggage scanners, walk-through metal detectors, and increased drone utilization. The meeting also addressed disaster management, with plans to conduct joint training exercises at the Armed Police Force’s disaster management school in Kurintar, Chitwan.
Armed Police Force spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki noted that the meeting also focused on strengthening bilateral trust through cultural exchanges and sporting events. Both agencies agreed to expand help desks at border points to assist legitimate travelers. The annual coordination meeting, which has been held alternately in both countries since 2012, is scheduled to take place in India next year.
