Kathmandu, November 25
Pledging to take India’s unique and special relations with Nepal forward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the bilateral ties were now powered by an “engine of trust” as he engaged with Nepalese leaders across the political spectrum.

Soon after his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport to take part in the two-day 18th SAARC Summit starting tomorrow, Modi set off a hectic schedule, including a bilateral meeting with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala in the latter’s office where over a dozen agreements were signed.

Besides a restricted meeting with Koirala, Modi called on Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav and met leaders of the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) United Communist Party of Nepal (M) and Madhesi.

The central theme of the interaction with leaders was underscoring the need for Nepal to complete its Constitution. He said the Constitution should be made by consensus and not by majority.

A slew of agreements were signed in the presence of both Prime Ministers and prominent among them were to formalise the US $1 billion Line of Credit announced earlier and a motor vehicle agreement ahead of the flagging off of the Kathmandu-Delhi direct bus service.

Modi climbed on to the bus and had a word with passengers. He said officers had been asked to explore the possibility of having wifi facility. Plan to open two more routes — one connecting Kathmandu to Varanasi and another New Dehi to Pokhra — is on the cards.

Modi inaugurated a trauma centre stating it would save lives in distress and was, therefore, a symbol of abiding hope and friendship between the two countries. He said India would always stand by Nepal. India also handed over to the Nepal Army the multirole and multi-capacity Dhruv Mark-III Advanced Light Helicopter.

Modi, the youth leader: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to rank high among the people of Nepal and his arrival in Kathmandu for the second time in under four months appears to only add to the excitement both among the people on the street or those in the corridors of power. A calendar-type hanging in one of the shops declared PM Modi as a leader of the youth.

Heightened security: The security was quite high on the over 3-km road leading to Hotel Soaltee where the Heads of Government are staying. The stretch was shut down for vehicular traffic for nearly an hour. Yet people thronged on either side waiting to catch a glimpse of the leaders and capture it on their smart phones/tablets as security vehicles ran up and down the street ferrying VVIPS.