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Nepali strategic expert has highlighted the significant potential for trilateral cooperation among India, Bangladesh and Nepal, saying deeper collaboration in areas such as energy, trade and connectivity could help create a more integrated regional marketplace and drive shared prosperity.
Speaking to ANI, Bibek Raj Kandel, Strategic Expert at Nepal Foundation and an AsiaGlobal Fellow at the University of Hong Kong, said countries in the region can no longer afford to remain isolated and should focus on building partnerships based on mutual economic benefits. "I see a lot of potential for the trilateral cooperation space because we are in a space where we cannot afford isolation. All the time, what I have seen, or what we hear a lot in these conversations, is talk around economic diplomacy, but we fail to integrate how there can be an optimised regional marketplace where all the nation-states can benefit from shared cooperation," Kandel said. Highlighting opportunities in the energy sector, Kandel said Nepal's surplus clean energy could support industrial growth in Bangladesh, while India could benefit through its role as a transit country. "I'll give you an example of energy. Nepal's clean energy surplus can be a big incentive for industries in Bangladesh. India, as a transit country, can monetise its transit infrastructure," he said. Kandel stressed that regional cooperation must be driven by tangible economic gains for all stakeholders. "So, we should not expect any state to operate just out of altruism. There has to be an economic incentive. There has to be a shared stake in whatever we do together," he added. The strategic expert also pointed to the tourism sector as another area with strong potential for trilateral cooperation, particularly through improved connectivity and easier movement of people. "And if we talk about tourism, I see a lot of demand there as well. Let me tell you that while coming here, I had to come via New Delhi because a lot of these flights are quickly filling up. So, you see there is so much demand, but we have not been able to facilitate movement between people and businesses," he said. Emphasising the need for stronger regional connectivity, Kandel said facilitating travel and business links should be a priority. "So, I think we need to work on those things--connectivity. If the states, if the region, cannot facilitate the movement of its own people, then talking about far-fetched economic diplomacy will just remain ideal," he said. "We should be looking at how these nation-states can really come together, address each other's constraints, and take part in shared prosperity," he added. Kandel, who is currently visiting Bangladesh to participate in the Economic Diplomacy Conference organised by the country's Foreign Ministry, said both Nepal and Bangladesh are currently led by governments with fresh mandates and an opportunity to strengthen economic engagement. "Talking about Nepal and Bangladesh, you see that both countries have a very fresh mandate. Two governments with a lot of energy. But you need to understand the hard maths as well: how do we deliver that energy that we saw in the streets in terms of economic diplomacy, in terms of allowing citizens to be part of the progress and shared prosperity?" he said. Expressing optimism about regional cooperation, Kandel said greater economic integration among Bangladesh, India and Nepal could help unlock substantial opportunities for growth and development. "So, I see a lot of potential between Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. I remain very optimistic that this can really work as a regional marketplace," he said. (ANI)
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