Nepal and India pledge tighter border security and joint disaster response

At the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Nepal’s Home Minister Sudan Gurung and India’s Home Minister Amit Shah reached an agreement to deepen security collaboration and streamline border management across their extensive open frontier. The dialogue covered joint efforts to combat transnational crime, including human trafficking and smuggling networks that exploit the passport-free crossing. Both sides also pledged to improve coordination on disaster preparedness, citing recent floods and landslides that have hit border communities and disrupted transport links.

Gurung expressed gratitude for India’s prompt assistance after Nepal’s recent natural disasters and called for practical cooperation that respects sovereign equality and trust. The meeting underscores the importance of the open border for social and economic ties while addressing the security and humanitarian challenges it creates. BIMSTEC, which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, views security cooperation as a key regional priority.