KATHMANDU: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Saturday extended greetings and best wishes to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and the people of India on the occasion of the country's 80th Independence Day.
Shah's message comes amid Nepal's efforts to strengthen ties with India, with the Himalayan nation seeking greater economic cooperation and connectivity with its immediate neighbour.
“On the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to PM @narendramodi and the friendly people and Government of India,” Shah’s office said in a post on X.
Shah's message also comes days after he held his first one-on-one meeting with Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava on August 10, after having largely avoided such engagements with foreign diplomats since taking office.
“May the deep historical ties, close people-to-people relations and cooperation between Nepal and India continue to strengthen in the years ahead,” Shah said on Saturday.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal also extended his greetings to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the people and the government of India on the occasion.
“Nepal and India share deep historical and civilisational ties, close people-to-people relations and a multifaceted partnership. May these bonds continue to grow even stronger in the days ahead,” Khanal said in a post on X.
Jaishankar thanked his Nepalese counterpart for the warm wishes.
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu observed the country's 80th Independence Day with a flag-hoisting ceremony and recitation of the national anthem.
The celebration commenced with the hoisting of the tricolour by India’s Ambassador to Nepal Srivastava and the singing of Vande Mataram by students. President Droupadi Murmu’s address on the eve of Independence Day was also broadcast.
On the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava honoured the widows and next of kin of 11 deceased Nepalese Gorkha personnel of the Indian Army and handed over Armed Group Insurance Funds cheques worth NPR 82 million, according to a press release by the Indian Embassy.
The ambassador also felicitated the winners of various competitions organised by the embassy to commemorate the day. These included a painting competition on the theme ‘Viksit Bharat’, the ‘Viksit Bharat Run’, and an Inter-school quiz competition.
The winners of the special edition of the ‘Bharat Ko Janiye’ quiz were also felicitated on the occasion. The embassy also announced a book grant for 22 educational institutions and libraries spread across seven provinces of Nepal.
The programme also featured various cultural performances, including patriotic songs, by students and teachers from Swami Vivekananda Culture Centre.
India is Nepal's largest trading partner and a key source of investment, while the two countries share an open border that facilitates extensive movement of people and deep social and familial ties.