India's foreign minister signs a deal to increase imports of electricity from Nepal

India’s foreign minister has concluded a two-day trip to Nepal during which he signed an agreement to increase the amount of electricity India imports from its neighbor

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- India's foreign minister concluded a two-day trip to Nepal on Friday, during which he signed an agreement to increase the amount of electricity India imports from its neighbor.

“I assure you we are committed to extending our steadfast support and work with same earnestness to further realize the potential of the relationship for the full benefit of the people of the two countries,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in Kathmandu Friday, just before flying home.

India, which surrounds Nepal on three sides, has major influence on the country's economy and politics.

Jaishankar arrived in Nepal Thursday where he met Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and President Ram Chandra Poudel and took part in a joint meeting where bilateral relations were discussed.

The two countries signed an long-term power trade agreement Thursday where India agreed to “to strive to increase the ... export of power from Nepal to India to 10,000 megawatts within a timeframe of 10 years,” according to a press statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.