NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to his new Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba and congratulated him on taking charge, a statement said. The Nepalese Supreme Court had also asked President Bidya Devi Bhandari to swear in Deuba, 75, the president of Nepali Congress, as the new Prime Minister. An Indian statement after Modi’s call with Deuba said that the Indian prime minister conveyed his “congratulations and best wishes for his appointment as the Prime Minister of Nepal and for winning the confidence vote in Parliament." “They discussed, in particular, ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination in the context of ongoing effort against the covid-19 pandemic," the Indian statement said. On Sunday during the confidence vote, Deuba secured 165 votes in the 275-member House, more than the 136 required to win parliament’s confidence.

Source: Mint July 19, 2021 12:22 UTC