Kathmandu, July 16 (IANS) Additional Secretary (North) at India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Munu Mahawar, on Thursday paid courtesy calls on Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.

During the meetings, both sides held productive discussions on India-Nepal cooperation across various sectors and explored ways to further strengthen the unique partnership, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a social media post.

Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the discussions focused on further strengthening the close and enduring ties between Nepal and India in areas of mutual interest.

Mahawar is part of the Indian delegation that participated in the 13th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on Power Sector Cooperation, co-chaired by Nepal's Energy Secretary Sarita Dawadi and India's Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal in Nepal’s western city — Pokhara on Wednesday.

During the JSC meeting, the two sides conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation in the power sector, covering hydropower development, cross-border electricity trade and transmission infrastructure, according to a press statement issued by the Indian Embassy.

The meeting also discussed the coordinated operation of the Indian and Nepali power grids, the development of solar energy projects, cooperation in green hydrogen, and capacity building for Nepali energy professionals. The two sides also agreed to expedite work on several new high-capacity cross-border transmission line projects.

Nepal's Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said the two countries had agreed to increase the volume of electricity traded through two cross-border transmission line projects.

The two sides agreed that Nepal could export up to 1,650 MW of electricity to India and import up to 1,400 MW through the two 400 kV cross-border transmission lines connecting the two countries. The transmission lines are the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi 400 kV cross-border links. Of the two, the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line has been operational since 2016, while the Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi transmission line is nearing completion, according to Nepal's Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company, established by India's state-owned SJVN Limited to develop the 900 MW Arun III Hydropower Project in eastern Nepal, is also constructing the Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi transmission line.

On Thursday, Power Secretary Agarwal and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava visited the 900 MW Arun III Hydropower Project site.

According to the Embassy, they inspected the powerhouse and dam sites and reviewed the project's progress. It is the largest hydropower project being undertaken by an Indian company in Nepal and is nearing completion, according to Nepali officials.

--IANS

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