The fifth meeting of Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group (EPG) kicked off in Kathmandu on Saturday.

At the meeting, Nepal will table its opinion along with comments on the proposal relating to the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship that was tabled in the previous EPG meeting by Indian EPG member Jayant Prasad, said an EPG member.

Likewise, EPG member from Nepali side Surya Prasad Upadhyay will present a working paper on Nepal-India cooperation and utility on water resources, the member added.

The meeting will also dwell on issues of Nepal-India border security management, identity cards for citizens of both the countries to enter the border by road and keeping record of those entering Nepal from India and vice versa by road.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Professor Mahendra P Lama and BC Upreti were present in the meeting.

However, former Indian envoy to Nepal Jayant Prasad, who is also the member, was absent in the meeting.

The EPG was formed with an objective to strengthen the bilateral ties and to review the past treaties and agreements including the 1950 treaty between Nepal and India after detail study in the respective fields.

Dr Bheikh Bahadur Thapa, former secretary and chief of CIAA Surya Nath Upadhyay, former Minister Nilambar Acharya and lawmaker Dr Rajan Bhattarai from Nepal were present in the meeting. RSS