India-Nepal border forces' talks begin in Delhi

Border guarding forces of India and Nepal began their three-day bilateral meeting in Delhi on Monday and discussed measures to curb trans-frontier crimes and for timely sharing of intelligence inputs, an official said. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) director general Rashmi Shukla is leading the Indian delegation at the seventh edition of the annual coordination talks and the visiting nine-member Armed Police Force (APF) team of Nepal is headed by its inspector general Raju Aryal.

The meeting will end on November 8, the official said.

"The talks at the level of two heads of the forces serve as a crucial platform for both forces to engage in discussions on border-related matters," according to an official statement issued on Sunday.


"The SSB and APF delegations aim to strengthen the coordination between the two border guarding forces for more effective management of the open and unfenced India-Nepal border," it had said.

The focus of the meeting will be on the development of effective mechanisms to collaboratively combat trans-border crimes and facilitate the prompt exchange of critical information between the forces, the statement said.

The SSB is a central armed police force under the Union Home Ministry and it is tasked with guarding the 1,751 km India-Nepal open international border.

These annual talks have been held alternately in India and Nepal since 2012.