New Delhi: The border guarding forces of India and Nepal engaged in discussions on mutual issues during the three-day annual meeting that commenced in the national capital on November 6. The 7th India-Nepal Coordination Meeting, which extends until November 8, aims to address concerns related to trans-frontier crimes and the timely sharing of intelligence inputs, among other matters.

This annual coordination meeting is led by India's Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General Rashmi Shukla and Nepal's visiting Inspector General of the Armed Police Force (APF), Raju Aryal. The inaugural day of the meeting saw a nine-member delegation under Raju Aryal's leadership at the SSB Headquarters.

The discussions during this annual meeting, which have taken place alternately in India and Nepal since 2012, focus on mutual concerns. The meeting serves as a platform for the heads of the SSB and the APF to address border-related issues, particularly trans-border crimes and intelligence sharing, ultimately enhancing coordination between the two border guarding forces for more effective management of the open and unfenced India-Nepal border.

In addition to mutual concerns, both the SSB and the APF are expected to raise other issues, including effective border management, the development of new mechanisms for combating trans-border crimes collaboratively, and the facilitation of timely information exchange among their troops. The last coordination meeting between these border guarding forces was held in Kathmandu in September 2022.

Operating under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the SSB is responsible for guarding the 1,751 km-long India-Nepal open international border. This open border arrangement, established under the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed by both countries in 1950, grants equal rights to citizens of India and Nepal in areas such as residence, property acquisition, employment, and free movement in each other's territory. This treaty allows citizens of both nations to cross the shared borders without passport and visa restrictions.

Controversy Continues: Stalin Issues Another Statement on Sanatan Dharma even after Madras HC rebuke

IED Blast in Chhattisgarh's Kanker Leaves BSF Constable and Polling Team Members Injured

Nepal Hit by Third Earthquake in Four Days, Tremors Felt in Delhi-NCR