KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has described Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle’s recent visit to India as “productive,” highlighting the discussions held on Nepal-India economic cooperation and post-disaster reconstruction.
Speaking after the party secretariat meeting on Sunday, RSP spokesperson Jagadish Kharel said Wagle had briefed the party on his three-day India visit and described the overall engagement as fruitful. Wagle visited New Delhi from September 17 to 19 at the invitation of the Indian government and held meetings with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, among others.
Kharel also addressed questions raised over photographs from Wagle’s meeting in India, particularly the absence of the Nepali national flag in one of the rooms where the minister was photographed.
He said the photograph was taken in the Indian finance minister’s office during an informal interaction, where only the Indian flag was displayed. According to Kharel, the formal bilateral meeting involving delegations from both countries was held in a separate setting, where the flags of both Nepal and India were displayed.
“The flag issue is a technical matter. What is more important is the outcome of Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle’s visit to India. The visit was highly productive,” Kharel said.
During his India visit, Wagle discussed post-flood reconstruction, economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy and connectivity with Indian officials. He also sought Indian support for rebuilding infrastructure damaged by the recent Bhotekoshi floods.
The visit also included engagements with Indian business leaders and policy experts, as well as an academic discussion on development economics at the Delhi School of Economics.
