New Delhi, October 2026 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Nepal’s Home Minister Sudhan Gurung in New Delhi on Wednesday, with discussions focusing on strengthening bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries. The meeting comes amid renewed efforts by India and Nepal to enhance security cooperation, improve coordination on border management and deepen regional engagement.
Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Jaishankar said, “Nice to meet Home Minister Sudhan Gurung of Nepal.”
The meeting followed talks between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his Nepalese counterpart on Tuesday, held on the sidelines of the first Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
Following his meeting with Gurung, Shah reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
“Delighted to meet Nepal's Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, on the sidelines of the First BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi. We reaffirmed our commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation and further strengthen the close ties between India and Nepal for peace, progress and prosperity in our region,” Shah posted on X.
According to the Nepal Embassy in India, Gurung expressed gratitude for India’s timely assistance following recent floods and landslides in Nepal. He also stressed the importance of advancing practical cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries, guided by the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect and trust.
The Nepalese mission said the discussions covered key areas of bilateral security cooperation, coordination on border management, efforts to combat transnational crime, and strengthening disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
At the BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, Gurung thanked India for its hospitality and appreciated the solidarity extended by member states to Nepal during recent natural disasters.
He reiterated Nepal’s commitment to regional cooperation against terrorism and transnational crime, emphasising the importance of secure information-sharing, coordinated responses and the timely implementation of agreed commitments.
Gurung also proposed the establishment of a BIMSTEC Regional Framework on Disaster Preparedness and Response, supported by a joint task force, to improve collective resilience and strengthen the region’s ability to respond to emergencies.
The meeting, chaired by Shah, concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, marking a significant step towards strengthening regional cooperation on security-related issues.
Shah said the meeting built on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision articulated at the sixth BIMSTEC Summit and sought to advance lasting peace, security and prosperity across the Bay of Bengal region.
The discussions covered five priority areas: drug control; counter-terrorism and legal cooperation; repatriation of fugitives; cybersecurity and cybercrime investigation; and institutional cooperation and capacity building.
The meetings underline India and Nepal’s shared interest in closer cooperation, while BIMSTEC provides a broader regional platform for addressing common security challenges and improving disaster response capabilities.
