New Delhi, Nov 13: India and Nepal on Thursday signed a Letter of Exchange (LoE) amending the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit, aimed at facilitating rail-based freight movement between the two countries.
The agreement, exchanged during a bilateral meeting between India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Nepal’s Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mr. Anil Kumar Sinha in New Delhi, expands the definition of bulk cargo and allows its movement between Jogbani (India) and Biratnagar (Nepal).
The liberalised arrangement extends to key transit corridors: Kolkata–Jogbani, Kolkata–Nautanwa (Sunauli), and Visakhapatnam–Nautanwa (Sunauli), strengthening multimodal connectivity for Nepal’s trade with India and third countries.
The LoE enables direct rail connectivity along the Jogbani–Biratnagar link for both containerised and bulk cargo, allowing transport from Indian ports at Kolkata and Visakhapatnam to Nepal’s customs yard in Morang District. The rail link, built with Indian grant assistance, was jointly inaugurated by the prime ministers of both countries in June 2023. The ministers also reviewed ongoing initiatives to enhance cross-border infrastructure, including Integrated Check Posts. India remains Nepal’s largest trade and investment partner, and the new measures are expected to further deepen economic and commercial ties between the two nations.
