Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that the spiritual and cultural relation between India and Nepal is part of a common heritage.
"Politics should not become a barrier in this relationship and both the countries should endeavour to carry forward this heritage," he said.
"If India is prosperous, then Nepal also becomes prosperous, because half of the population of Nepal lives in India. The Indo-Nepal Dialogue along with the cultural and spiritual heritage of both countries will also take the trade between the two countries to a new height," the Chief Minister said.
He was addressing the second Indo-Nepal bilateral dialogue at his official residence, 5 Kalidas Marg here on Thursday.
The dialogue was held under the aegis of India Foundation, Niti Anusandhaan Pratishthan (Nepal) and Nepal-Indo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) Kathmandu. Addressing the gathering, he said that this is a great initiative.
"While India and Nepal are two bodies since ancient times, our cultural heritage connects each other. The well being of both countries is linked to each other," he said.
The Chief Minister said that the credibility of the people of Nepal is strong in the Indian Army and Indian homes. "The people of Nepal are in the Indian Army and their rank varies from a soldier to very senior positions. This is the belief of India and our common heritage is based on these beliefs."
He said that small countries of Europe are moving ahead at a fast pace, then why Nepal cannot move forward in this competition.
The Chief Minister said that Nepal can become a big power center and the biggest hub of tourism. But it is important to identify the hindrance in this progress and resolve it.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done the task of connecting Pashupatinathji with Kashi Vishwanath. Ayodhya has also been connected to Janakpuri.
The Chief Minister said that if Varanasi is developing into a smart city then why should Kathmandu lag behind?
( With inputs from ANI )