India and Nepal are set to conduct their eighth annual border talks in Kathmandu from November 16 to 18, 2024. This meeting will be led by the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Amrit Mohan Prasad, who will engage with officials from Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF), specifically its Inspector General, Raju Aryal.

The talks will be led by senior officials from India's Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF), who will explore measures to improve coordination and information sharing along the open and unfenced Indo-Nepal border.

The agenda for this year's discussions will primarily focus on curbing trans-border crimes. Both nations aim to enhance cooperation in tackling illegal activities that exploit the open border, which is prone to misuse by anti-national elements. 

Timely and effective exchange of intelligence will be a key topic, enabling both sides to respond more swiftly to security threats.

The talks will also address strategies for better management of the 1,751 km long, unfenced border that runs along several Indian states including Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

These annual meetings have been held since 2012 and alternate between India and Nepal. The last meeting took place in New Delhi in November 2023. A joint record of discussions is expected to be signed at the conclusion of the talks on November 18, reinforcing commitments made during these bilateral discussions. 

The open border between India and Nepal is established under the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1950, allowing citizens from both countries to move freely across the border without the need for passports or visas. This unique arrangement necessitates ongoing dialogue to ensure security and cooperation between the two nations.

This meeting marks the continuation of a series of annual coordination talks that have been taking place since 2012, alternating between India and Nepal as hosts. The last such meeting occurred in September 2022 in Kathmandu. The Indian delegation will be headed by SSB Director-General Rashmi Shukla, while the APF team will be led by Inspector-General Raju Aryal.