The 10th bilateral coordination meeting between the Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal, and India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has begun in Kathmandu.
The meeting aims to strengthen border security and management, control cross-border crime, and enhance coordination and cooperation between the security agencies of the two countries operating along the border.
The meeting will continue until October 30.
The Nepali delegation is led by APF Inspector General Narayan Dutta Poudyal, while the Indian delegation is headed by SSB Director General Sanjay Singhal.
Representatives from the home and foreign affairs ministries of both countries, Nepal Police, the National Investigation Department, the Department of Survey, and the Indian Embassy in Nepal are also participating in the meeting.
Discussions will focus on controlling illegal activities in along the border, preventing human trafficking and drug smuggling, curbing the trafficking of illegal firearms, and maintaining peace and order in border areas.
The agenda also includes removing encroachments along the no-man’s-land between the two countries, protecting and maintaining border pillars, controlling crime in border areas, and strengthening coordination to reduce risks associated with disasters and epidemics.
The two sides will also discuss necessary measures to prevent the misuse of the open Nepal-India border for the illegal movement of third-country nationals, expand the use of modern technology in border management, cooperate on disaster management, and establish help desks for travelers at border crossing points.
Other issues include improving information-sharing between the border security agencies, strengthening regular communication and institutional cooperation, and fostering closer relations with communities living along the border.
The meeting is expected to further strengthen friendly relations between Nepal and India and contribute to maintaining peace, security, and goodwill in border areas.
