This event is part of the series “The Neighbourhood Scope,” a monthly feature of the Strategic Studies Programme that intends to rekindle key conversations, questions, and debates concerning India’s neighbourhood.
Nepalese PM - Pushpa Kumar Dahal's (Prachanda) recent visit to India has triggered immense interest in the trajectory of India-Nepal relations. Some have called the visit a mark of "new history," others have termed it an "old wine in a new bottle." The visit prioritised conver-gences and mutual benefits over contentious issues and divergences. Both countries have con-tinued to make strides in connectivity, economic integration, and hydropower cooperation. But the relationship continues to be constrained by the increasing influence of hostile powers, disagreements over fundamental treaties, looming trade deficit, border disputes, and mutual misconceptions.
How can New Delhi and Kathmandu address their major irritants without giving in to their domestic politics and pressure? As India and Nepal undergo significant politico-economic and systemic transformations, how should both countries interact with each other? How can India and Nepal leverage the ongoing geopolitical jostling to further their mutually benefi-cial relationship? What role can external players, like China and the US, play in bridging or exacerbating the prevalent trust deficit between both countries?
This is an in-person event.
