The border-guarding forces of India and Nepal began their 10th annual coordination meeting in Kathmandu today, with a focus on strengthening border security, preventing cross-border crimes and improving real-time intelligence-sharing.
The three-day meeting brings together senior officials from key security and government agencies of both countries. The Indian delegation is led by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General Sanjay Singhal, while Nepal’s delegation is headed by Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector General Narayan Dutta Paudel. Representatives from India’s Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, and Nepal’s Ministries of Home and Foreign Affairs, Nepal Police, National Investigation Department and Department of Survey are also participating in the meeting.
The two sides are reviewing the implementation of decisions taken at previous meetings and discussing measures to strengthen coordinated border management and joint efforts to tackle cross-border crime. The discussions cover human trafficking, drug and arms smuggling, illegal trade and the movement of third-country nationals through the open India-Nepal border. Both sides are also focusing on timely information-sharing, coordinated patrolling, protection and maintenance of border pillars, and addressing encroachments along the no-man’s-land.
Other issues include joint training, capacity-building, disaster preparedness and response, and the use of modern technology to improve border management. The two forces are also discussing ways to strengthen cooperation between their personnel and facilitate the movement of citizens through assistance desks at major border crossing points.
The annual meeting is an important mechanism for addressing shared security challenges along the approximately 1,751-kilometre open and largely unfenced India-Nepal border, while ensuring smooth movement between the two countries.
The eighth annual coordination meeting was held in Kathmandu in November 2024, followed by the ninth meeting in New Delhi from November 12 to 14, 2025. These annual discussions provide a platform for both sides to review previous decisions, address emerging challenges and strengthen cooperation between their border guarding forces.
