India and Nepal agree to stop "anti-nationals" from misusing their respective territories

As their top paramilitary officials reviewed the method to stop foreign nationals from illegally crossing the Indo-Nepal border, India and Nepal agreed to prohibit the misuse of their respective territory by "anti-nationals." The joint coordination meeting between Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector General Raju Arya and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen, which ended here on Thursday, discussed ways to improve security along the Indo-Nepal border and streamline the process for reducing trans-border crimes.

According to a statement from the SSB, the leaders of both forces agreed to create a mechanism to stop citizens of third countries from entering the border illegally. Additionally, it was decided that border forces will keep updating their operating procedures in light of current difficulties. According to the statement, "they jointly agreed to prevent anti-nationals from utilising their respective areas inappropriately." According to a senior official who attended the conference, the Indian side asked Nepal to prevent Chinese and Pakistani people from entering India through the border points after participating in criminal activities there.

The delegation from the SSB, led by DG Thaosen, also paid a visit to Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and reaffirmed its commitment to working to improve relations and collaboration between the border forces of India and Nepal. For Nepal's impending federal and provincial elections, security concerns were also covered. Since 2012, the Director General of the SSB and the Inspector General of the APF have alternately held the Coordination Meetings in India and Nepal.

The 5th Annual Coordination Meeting between the DG, SSB (India) and the IG, APF (Nepal) was previously held in New Delhi in October of the previous year. India will host the 7th Coordination meeting the following year. Over 1,850 kilometres of border separates Nepal from Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in India. India is a major source of transportation for Nepal, a landlocked country.