Nepal-India border forces’ talks begins in Delhi

The 7th India-Nepal Coordination Meeting between Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) of India commenced in New Delhi on Monday, marking the seventh edition of the annual coordination talks between the two neighboring nations.

The meeting, which runs from November 6 to 8, is being led by India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) director general, Rashmi Shukla, and the inspector general of the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal, Raju Aryal. A nine-member delegation, under the leadership of Inspector General Aryal, arrived in India on Sunday to participate in the discussions.

According to SSB officials, the primary agenda of the coordination meeting is to enhance cooperation and coordination between the two security agencies. The talks will focus on measures to combat trans-frontier crimes and the timely sharing of intelligence inputs, with the aim of strengthening border security.

These talks are considered a crucial platform for both the SSB and APF to engage in discussions on border-related matters. As border guarding forces, their goal is to manage the open and unfenced India-Nepal border more effectively and to develop mechanisms for collaborative efforts against trans-border crimes. The discussions will also facilitate the prompt exchange of critical information between the forces to enhance security in the region.

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is a central armed police force under the Union Home Ministry, tasked with guarding the 1,751 km India-Nepal open international border. These annual coordination meetings have been held alternately in India and Nepal since 2012 and continue to be a significant forum for enhancing bilateral cooperation in matters related to border security.