New Delhi: The chiefs of India and Nepal’s border guarding forces are set to hold their annual coordination meeting from Wednesday to address key issues aimed at curbing trans-border crime and improving real-time intelligence sharing.

This will mark the first high-level interaction between India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF) since the ‘Gen Z’-led violent protests in Kathmandu in September. The government has estimated damages to public infrastructure at over NPR 100 billion, while the private sector has reported losses exceeding NPR 80 billion in initial assessments.

According to an official statement, the 9th Annual Coordination Meeting will be held from November 12 to 14. SSB Director General Sanjay Singhal will lead the Indian delegation, with APF Inspector General Raju Aryal heading the Nepalese side.

Discussions are expected to focus on creating effective joint mechanisms to prevent cross-border crime, establishing faster and more reliable systems for real-time information exchange, and enhancing coordinated border management practices to maintain peace and security along the Indo-Nepal frontier, the SSB said.

The last such meeting was held in Kathmandu in November 2024. The SSB, which operates under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, guards the 1,751 km-long open Indo-Nepal border and the 899 km-long India-Bhutan border.

Earlier in October, Nepal’s interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki assured the international community that the current administration is committed to holding the next parliamentary elections and transferring power to the elected government within six months. Speaking to heads of missions, diplomatic representatives, and development partners in Kathmandu on October 17, Karki stated, “This non-political, transitional government has one sole and non-negotiable mandate: to hold free, fair, and impartial general elections to the House of Representatives on March 5 next year.” 

IANS