Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km in the east, south and west with five Indian States — Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

India is ready to be the sherpa to help Nepal scale the mountain of success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, hailing the Himalayan nation’s successful journey from bullets to ballots.

Addressing a civic reception in his honour at the Nepalese capital, Mr. Modi stressed the special relation shared by the two neighbours and admired Nepal’s spirit of resilience and commitment to democracy.

“Nepal has covered a long journey from Yuddh to Buddh [War to Peace]. You have left the bullet to opt the ballot way... But this not the destination. You have to go a long way,” he told the gathering.

Towards the peak

“You have reached the base camp of Mt. Everest, and the main climb is yet to be done. As the sherpas [guides] help mountaineers to reach the top of the Everest, India is ready to help Nepal like a sherpa to achieve development,” he said.

Earlier in the day, in a joint statement, Mr. Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli agreed to maintain the momentum generated by the visit by taking effective measures for the implementation of all the agreements and understandings reached in the past.

They also agreed that effective implementation of the bilateral initiatives in agriculture, railway linkages and inland waterways development, as agreed upon by the two sides during the recent visit of Mr. Oli to India, would have a transformational impact in these areas, the statement said.

The Prime Minister said Nepal must identify its needs and priorities to deliver results. “India will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nepal in its development journey. Your success is our success and your joy is our joy,” he said.

The Prime Minister said his party’s slogan, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, was as much about global well being as it was about India’s growth.

Mr Modi said, “India has always worked for global good. India has taken the lead in mitigating the menace of climate change.”

Modi congratulated Nepalese people for their combined strengths to rebuild the country after the devastating earthquake of 2015. He also congratulated them for the Constitution that reshaped the country’s political history by embracing federal system.

“There is an atmosphere of hope and optimism in Nepal,” Mr. Modi said, adding that India would always become partner to Nepal’s progress.

As India and Nepal share the ancient culture and religion of the world, people from all over the world come to these two countries in search for peace, he pointed out. Mr. Modi said he was always attracted by artistic city of Kathmandu, which he described as ‘a jewel in the lap of the Himalayas.’

Describing Kathmandu as a mixture of the ancient and the modern, Modi said the city showcases the culture of Nepal. “There is something unique about the beauty of Kathmandu. It’s a special city. It has an important place in the history of the world,” he said.

He also said work has begun on a detailed project report for linking Kathmandu to India via railways.

Earlier, Kathmandu Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya presented symbolic key of the city to Mr. Modi, which symbolises that the door to Kathmandu would always remain open to him.